Turtles

Last month I had three close encounters with turtles:

1. I bought a turtle stained glass lamp at a thrift sale.
2. I saw a snapping turtle laying eggs about one foot from me, right on the edge of a walking trail.
3. I shared a walking trail with a snapping turtle at a different wildlife area.  This time we were both taking a walk - her, not so fast.

Turtles first appeared on earth 200 million years ago.  Most of them fit into one of these categories:

Freshwater Turtles live in rivers or ponds.  They have flat shells and webbed feet.  This is the group that the snapping turtle belongs to.
Sea Turtles live in the sea and have powerful flippers in order to swim long distances.  Some can swim at 20 mph, about 100 times faster than a tortoise can walk.
Tortoises live on dry land, have domed shells, and their legs are built for walking.  My lamp belongs in this group.

We all learned that turtles pull their heads and legs inside their shells for protection.  Freshwater turtles are the only ones that can do this - their shells completely close.  For the most part, this is a good defense, as long as they stay off the Delavan Golf Course. 

But a tortoise's shell barely fits over its head, so its face isn't protected.   To compensate, it uses its front legs (covered with thick, heavy scales) to cover its face.  Picture the monkey that sees no evil.  

And a sea turtle has a very small shell.  The good news is it makes it easier to swim.  The bad news is the head and legs stay on the outside, unprotected except for the thick scaly skin that offers some defense. 
  

The top of a turtle shell is known as a carapace and the underside is called the plastron.  The most beautiful carapaces belong to the Hawksbill Sea Turtle, which is what tortoiseshell combs and jewelry are made from.  Not surprisingly, Hawksbill Turtles have been hunted until they're critically endangered.  Trading in tortoiseshell has been illegal since 1993, but there's still a large underground market.

 The Leatherback Sea Turtle, which shared the earth with the dinosaurs, has declined in the Pacific by 95% in the last 25 years.    

96 of the 200 different species of turtles are threatened. Losing gene pools is bad for humans.  Researchers recently learned that turtle organs don't really age with time.  Turtles can live to be 100, and their liver, lungs, and kidneys are nearly identical to those of a young turtle.  Their heart doesn't need to beat constantly, and they can stay underwater for hours without breathing.  Researchers are investigating the turtle genome for longevity genes. 

 
This is a recent photograph of the spot where the snapping turtle laid its eggs last month.  I bring my camera on my walks to this area, hoping to catch baby turtles.