Turtles Of The World

Indian soft shelled turtle-

This small headed, soft shelled turtle is clearly the largest species of its group. There is a claim that its shell aporoaches 6ft in length and the turtle is capable of attacking and sinking small boats, presumably not doing much harm to the occupants. The species lives in the large rivers of the Indian peninsula from Pakistan to Mayanmar.

Leatherback turtle or luth-

It is the largest living turtle. It grows to more than 1400 pounds in weight and may have a shell length of about 6ft. The leatherbacks have been found off Australia and near the northern tip of Norway. They feed on large marine invertebrates, mainly on big jelly fish including the Portuguese man-of-war. It has heavy horny papillae lining its throat, which perhaps protects the turtle.

Arrau turtle-

It is the largest South American turtle. It is a side necked turtle that withdraws its neck by bending it laterally under the margin of the shell. They occur in eronomous numbers in the Orinoco and Amazon river systems.

African mud turtle-

This is one of some half dozen side headed turtle in Africa. It ranges from Sentral in extreme west Africa across the continent to the island of Zanzibar and even to the Madagascar. They are good slimmer, omnivorous, predating and scavanging.

Nile soft shelled turtle-

It is a member of an unusual group that retains only a loose frame work of internal connecting bones within the shell; the outside plates or scales have become completely lost, hence the name. These are found over the range of North American continent , in Africa and southern Asia.

Mata mata turtle-

Found in the stream of northern South America it has restructed itself into an elegant fish trap . The name mata-mata mens loose skin is an Indian dialect. When a growth of algae covers the shell it is almost impossible to recognise the tittle hiding at the river bottom . The scale of the shell rises so as to form a peak. The skin of the head and the limb is covered with loose flaps.

Green turtle-

Speciemens of these weigh upto 300 pounds. They inhabit the Atlantic ocean from Southern Canada to Argentina. The Pacific green turtle belongs to a different species. The green tittle used to be an important food resource to people inhabiting the shores and island of the Atlantic coast.