My turtle...Jacqueline

I was feeding my turtles tonight and I was watching them do some kind of flutter ritual with their front feet...I thought it was wierd so I decided to google what they could be doing! I thought it was before they attack or something! Now, I have a had turtles since I was a child and my father had turtles...but...I have never seen anything like that. So while i was searching i decided to put some facts down about turtles for those who have disregarded them.
They are actually really smart! I had one that would answer me when I called him! of course his name was Jason (like mine).
Just for shits and giggles the two I have are called a Mud turtle and Nelson.....both are semi aquatic.


more information......




The Chinese Culture
Turtles and Tortoises have been important to Chinese culture and history. Chinese mythology also tells many stories about magical animals such as the phoenix, dragon, unicorn and turtle. The turtle is the only one of these magical animals to be actually living today. The Chinese believed the turtle to symbolise wisdom, wealth, long life and endurance. They also believed that the world is the back of the turtle and that the turtle shell has markings of heaven and earth and the roof of the universe. The turtle was one of the four guardians of the compass. A Chinese person called Fu Xi invented writing after examining the mysterious patterns on the back of the turtle.
Body
Legs
Tortoises have feet like an elephant. Turtles have flippers or webbed clawed feet.
Eyes
Turtles can see in colour, not in black and white like lots of other animals.
Sea turtles drink salt water then squeeze out the extra salt through very special tear glands.
Beak
Turtles and tortoises do not have teeth; they have beaks. Both herbivores and carnivores have beaks. If they did not have them, they would not be able to eat. The beaks are sharper for meat eaters but for the plant eaters, they are just sharp enough to grind up the plants.
Shell
The shell is the turtle's natural protection; it protects its body from predators, so its shell is really important to the turtle.
The shell is like part of the skeleton. It is like an exoskeleton. The appearance is a key part of how to identify a turtle or tortoise. Inside the shell there is space for its body parts.
A special thing about the shell is that the turtle cannot come out of its shell completely because part of its backbone is attached to the shell.
The top part of the shell is called a carapace and the bottom part of the shell is called the plastron. Not all shells are hard; some have soft shells, which unfortunately makes it easier for predators to eat them.
The turtle's shell is made out of the same material as our hair and fingernails.
Neck
The neck is a very important part of the turtle and tortoise. Turtle's necks come in many different shapes and sizes. For example, some turtles are snake neck turtles, their necks are a lot longer than any other turtles. Some turtles and tortoise’s necks have to come in from the side.
Predators
The main predators of the turtles and tortoises are humans. We hunt them for pets, their eggs, shells and skin. Some people in the world hunt turtles for a living, mainly in Asia and Africa. The turtle hunters have to be careful so they won't damage the shell. It is more valuable than other parts of the turtle or tortoise.
When sea turtles are born and running for the sea, different kinds of the birds try to eat them. That is why they lay so many eggs. Sea turtles have more eggs than other turtles or tortoises.
Life
Habitat
Sea turtles and tortoises have very different habitats. The sea turtles live in the water but also go onto shore or beaches to lay thousands of eggs. Tortoises live on land, but they go onto the water to cool down.
All turtles and tortoises sit under the warm sun to heat up.
Behaviour


When sea turtles mate they go out of water and try to find a place to mate and lay around 100 eggs. After hatching, hundreds of baby sea turtles run for the water because their life depends on making it there. When sea turtles are born, they are usually smaller than a human hand








Wiki definition


Turtles are reptiles of the Order Testudines (all living turtles belong to the crown group Chelonia), most of whose body is shielded by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs. The Order Testudines includes both extant (living) and extinct species. The earliest known turtles date from 215 million years ago,[1] making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups and a more ancient group than lizards and snakes. About 300 species are alive today, and some are highly endangered.
Turtles cannot breathe in water, but they can hold their breath for various periods of time.
Like other reptiles, turtles are "cold-blooded" (or poikilothermic — "of varying temperature"[2]). Like other amniotes (reptiles, dinosaurs, birds, and mammals), they breathe air and do not lay eggs underwater, although many species live in or around water. The largest turtles are aquatic.