Exam 4 Materials

Turtles, Crocs, and Lizards; ABAC Dr.Woods

What is the Taxonomy for turtles?

Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Reptilia, Subclass Archosauria, Order Testudines

What is the Taxonomy for lizards?

Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Reptilia, Subclass Lepidosauria, Order Squamata, Suborder Lacertilia

What is the Taxonomy for crocs, alligators, and caimens?

Order Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Reptilia, Subclass Archosauria, Order Crocodylia

What Genus belong in the turtle Family Chelonidae

Caretta, Chelonia, Eretmochelys, Lepidochelys

10 years until sexually mature; oceanic; giant head scutes

loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta

tropical nester; hunted by poachers for its shell

green sea turtle Chelonia mydas

hunted by poachers for its shell; prefers tropical, isolated beaches; specializes in feeding in coral reefs

hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata

colonial nesting; Gulf of Mexico; rarest sea turtle

Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys kempii

What Genus are in the turtle family Dermochelyidae?

Dermochelys

most pelagic and widespread; jellyfish specialist; extremely large

leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea

What Genus does the turtle family Trionychidae have?

Apalone

eats anything that will fit in its mouth; streams and rivers; nondescript shell, black little spots; tiny projections on carapace; tubular nose

eastern spiny softshell Apalone spinifera

eat invertebrates, scavenge, and have been know to pull down wading birds; females are bigger than males; tubular nose; smooth carapace

Florida softshell Apalone ferox

What Genus are in the Turtle family Chelydridae?

Macrochelys, Chelydra

passive hunters, lure in mouth; smooth tail; 3 rows of jagged ridges on carapace

alligator snapping turtle Macrochelys temminckii

active hunter; widespread; smoother carapace; jagged tail

common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina

What Genus are in the turtle family Kinosternidae?

Kinosternon, Sternotherus

nest in summer; small and round; double hinge; pectoral scutes for a K; Noticeable spots or pattern on head depending on range

eastern mud turtle Kinosternon subrubrum

nocturnal; omnivores and scavengers; shallow water with slow currents; can climb; single hinge; stripes from nose to neck; commonly has minor barbules around chin and neck; square pectorals

common musk turtle Sternotherus odoratus

highly aquatic; can climb; big head; single hinge; speckling/mottling on head and shell

loggerhead musk turtle Sternotherus minor

What Genus are in the turtle family Emydidae?

Glyptemys, Graptemys, Terrapene, Chrysemys, Malaclemys, Clemmys, Trachemys, Pseudemys, Deirochelys

mostly terrestrial, like shallow water; males will sometimes have red eyes and have concave plastron to mount females: miniature tortoise; high and rounded shell; highly patterned shell; hinged

Eastern box turtle Terrapene carolina

endangered; smallest North American turtle; Appalachian mountain bogs; solid black with yellow spot behind eye and on throat

bog turtle Glyptemys muhlenbergii

females are larger than males; yellow or lighter color stripes on head; flatter shells; mid-dorsal ridge

common map turtle Graptemys geographica

beaver ponds and aquatic vegetation; marginal scutes have red; thick lines on head with occasional yellow spot behind eye; large scutes in rough row

painted turtle Chrysemys picta

endangered; tolerates brackish waters, marshes; grey; concentric rings on scutes

diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin

uncommon but not endangered; bogs and cypress swamps; black with little yellow spots

spotted turtle Clemmys guttata

bright yellow belly; yellow stripes on head; black spots on underside of marginal scutes

pond slider Trachemys scripta

rear marginal scute will flare up and out with age; dull colorations usually

river cooter Pseudemys concinna

wetlands; vertical stripes on backside; has chicken wire pattern on shell

chicken turtle Deirochelys reticularia