Hello friends, how are you doing? Now we are
into 4th phase of lockdown with the hope that we will get some solution to this and will get back to the normal life. It is becoming never-ending with a lack
of clarity on medicine and because of that everyone is becoming restless. It is very easy to say that keep calm,
things will be fine, etc but at ground level, for poor people it is not easy to
survive with the given situation hence I urge everyone to help who are in need of help. Help in terms of
serving food items, necessities, not to cut their wages or any other way that can help
them to survive.
We need to do two things, one is to help underprivileged
people, and the other is to keep ourselves safe by staying at home and keeping control
over our frustration because “Slow and steady wins the race.” OMG, I got my topic
for the day with this slogan, OMG today is World Turtle Day as well.
Oh, what a coincidence and see the sequence, the current situation reminded me of a slogan, the slogan reminded me of Turtle and
this lovely creature reminded me that today is its own day. So let’s celebrate
World Turtle day by knowing facts of Turtle on this blog itself.
Back to School Days
Slow and steady wins the race, this is such an old story cannot be measured in terms of years I believe, every generation has
learned this story in school no doubt about it and it looks so real as well in
this testing time. The moral of the story is if you have patience then it is
certain that Victory at the end is going to be yours. (This is how with
patience will help us to win over COVID).
Similar to you all I was equally curious when I
started wildlife and wanted to see Turtle in the forest. To see how it looks in
reality, is it true that it is a very slow creature, etc. It was always on the lifer
list to see and photograph it in a natural environment, the day I took the picture,
it was a different feeling and it took me back to school memories, this is why I love
Turtle so much. I am sure you are also feeling the same.
What I explained above is a story we all know
since ages and we have downloaded the same to our next generation but another story is there
about Turtle that hardly anyone knows. Do you want to know? Let me think, should I disclose
here or let it be hidden………………… ok let it be as "Learning" for you (its a hint, find
out now), by the time you find out I will jump to the next section for
fantastic fact.
Fantastic Facts
Turtles are reptiles of the order
Testudines characterized by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed
from their ribs and acting as a shield
The earliest known members of this
group date from the Middle Jurassic, making turtles one of the oldest reptile
groups and a more ancient group than snakes or crocodilians
Turtles are ectotherms—animals commonly called
cold-blooded—meaning that their internal temperature varies according to the
ambient environment. However, because of their high metabolic rate, leatherback
sea turtles have a body temperature that is noticeably higher than that of the
surrounding water
Turtles are classified as amniotes, along with
other reptiles, birds, and mammals. Like other amniotes, turtles breathe air
and do not lay eggs underwater, although many species live in or around water
Turtles have a hard shell that protects them
like a shield; this upper shell is called a ‘carapace’. Turtles also have a lower
shell called a ‘plastron’. Just like your bones, a turtle’s shell is actually
part of its skeleton. It is made up of over 50 bones, which include the
turtle’s rib cage and spine
Sea turtles have special glands which
help remove salt from the water they drink
Turtles are thought to have exceptional night
vision due to the unusually large number of rod cells in their retinas. Turtles
have color vision with a wealth of cone subtypes with sensitivities ranging
from the ultraviolet (UVA) to red
While typically thought of as mute, turtles make
various sounds when communicating. Tortoises may be vocal when courting and
mating
Adult turtles typically eat aquatic plants;
invertebrates such as insects, snails, and worms; and have been reported to
occasionally eat dead marine animals. Green sea turtle do not eat meat at all
and, instead, have a diet largely made up of algae
Sadly, many species of turtle are
endangered! 129 of approximately 300 species of turtle and tortoise on Earth
today are either vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered
So many qualities and hardly few we
know, (I have not yet disclosed the other story J, keep guessing) I hope you liked the
story and hope that you will find out undisclosed part as well, best of luck,
do let me know your feedback on btwildart@gmail.om
Learning of the day
(Hope
you remember the hint)
All tortoises are in fact turtles but not
all turtles are tortoises.
Points of difference are –
|
Turtle
|
Tortoise
|
|
Turtles spend most of their lives in water. They are adapted
for aquatic life
|
Tortoises are land animals. Their feet are round and stumpy,
adapted for walking on land
|
|
Turtles are omnivorous
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Tortoises are generally vegetarians
|
|
Mostly flat, streamlined shells. Generally
light-weight shell
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Mostly large dome shape shells (with bumps on the top in some
species). The shells are heavier.
|
|
Broad flipper legs with webbed feet
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Short sturdy legs without webbed feet
|
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Shorter life span
|
Longer life span
|
|
Cannot hide inside the shell
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Can hide inside the shell
|
*All pictures are of Turtle
BT Wild Art
DSLR Section
