Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-05-25
TURTLES LIVE 400 YEARS
EVoLUTIoNiSTS CAN TELL US
NOTHING OF THEIR ORIGIN.
Some That Weigh Ton-Facts About
Only Animal Who Needs No Strong
Backbone-Well Developed Senses,
Theirs-Eges Hatch by Themselves.

Theirs-Eges Hatch by Themselves.
A turtle. waddling his solitary way
along some water course. attracts lit
tie interest outside of his clumsy, gro
tesque shape, yet few who look upon
him are able to give, off hand, even a
bare half dozen facts about this hum
BILE creature. And If they could give
any, their information would be limit
ed to two or three usages his body is
put to-soup and mandolin picks
also combs.
| There are about two hundred differ
ent kinds of turtles. and they live in
all parts OF the world. except in very
| cold countries. Australia has the few
| est, and North and Central America
| the greatest number of species. Evo-
lutionists can tell us nothing of their
| origin, for as far back in geological
| ages as they are found fossil Ga mat
| ter of little over ten million years.,
| all are true turtles. not half turtles
| and half something else. Crocodiles
and alligators, with their hard. leath-
| cry coats. come as near to them as
| any living creature, and when We see
huge swapping turtle come out of the
water, and walk about on land We can
| not but be reminded of the fenow with
the armourer back.
Turtles are found on the sea and on
| the land, the marine forms deserving
the name of turtles. more properly;
tortoises being those living on land or
in fresh water. but we will use the
name, turtles, as significant of the
whole class. The most natural way of
classifying these creatures is by the
way the head and neck are drawn
back under the shell; whether the
head is turned to one side. or drawn
straight back, bending the neck into
letter S shape.
The skull of the turtle Is massive,
and some have thick false roofs on top
Of the usual brain box.
The house" or shell of turtle is
made up of separate pieces of bone, q
central row along the back, and others
arranged around on both sides. These
are really pieces of the skin of the
back changed to bone. Our ribs are
directly under the skin of the back,
and if this skin should harden into a
bonelke substance, the ribs would lie
fiat against it, and this is the case
with the ribs of turtles. So when we
marvel that the ribs of turtle are on
the outside of its body, a second
thought will show that this is just as
true of us as of these reptiles.
Tbic 1ar rIa af eli &. h,a
brought about some interesting chang
es in the body of the turtle. In all the
higher animals from fishes up to man
backbone is of the greatest impor-
tance, not only to carry the nerves and
blood vessels, but to support the en-
tire body. In turtles alone the string
of vertebrae is unnecessary, the shell
giving all the support needed. So as
nature seldom allows unused tissues
or organs to remain, these bones along
the back become, in many species, re-
duced to a mere thread.
The pieces of bone or horn which
go to make up the shell, although so
different in appearance from skin, yet
have the same life processes. Occa-
olOudlly IL nOull5 VI pctlS, IhC outCi
part coming off in great flakes. Each
piece grows by the addition of rings
of horn at the Joints. and Qike the |
rings of tree) the age of turtles, ex-
cept very old ones, can be told by the
number of circles OF horn on each |
piece. The rings are very distinct in |
species which live In temperate cli-
,afo thnu pp11nd tn |
hibernate during the winter, and this
cessation of growth marks the inter
walls between each ring. In tropical |
turtles the rings are absent or indis-
tinct. It is to this mode Of growth |
that the spreading Of initials which
are cut into the shell is due, just as |
letters carved on the trunks of trees |
In time broaden and bulge outward.
The shell has the power OF regen- |
Grafton, and when a portion is torn
away or crushed the injured parts are
gradually cast of. and from the sur
rounding edges, new covering of |
horn grows out. One-third Of the en-
tire shell has been known to be thus
replaced.
Although so slow is their locomotion
and actions, turtles have well-devel-
oped senses. They can see very dis
tinctly, and the power of smell Is es-
pecially acute. certain turtles being
very discriminating in the matter of |
their good. They are very sensitive to
touch, and will react to the least tap
on their shell. Their hearing is more
imDerfect hut as they have tiny pip |
ing voices during the mating season,
this sense must be Of some use.
Water tortoises can remain beneath
the surface for hours and even days, |
at time. In addition to the lungs, |
there are two small sacs near the tail
which allow the animal to use the
oxygen in the water as an aid in
breathing.
All turtles lay eggs. the shells of