"Chelonia mydas"

by: m. r.

kingdom | phylum | class | order | family |  genus and species

    Kingdom: Animalia

•  Animal cells lack the rigid cell walls that characterize plant cells

• Somewhere around 9 or 10 million species of animals inhabit the earth.

• All members of the Animalia are Multicellular.

• all are Heterotrophs.

• Most ingest food and digest it in an internal cavity.

• Animals range in size from no more than a few cells to organisms weighing many tons.  

return to top

    Phylum: Chordata

• bilateral symmetry

• segmented body, including segmented muscles

• three germ layers and a well-developed coelom.

• single, dorsal, hollow nerve cord, usually with an enlarged anterior end

• tail projecting beyond (posterior to) the anus at some stage of development

• complete digestive system 

return to top

    Class: Reptile

    return to top

    Order: Testudines

• Their shells set them apart from all other animals

• The shell is a modified ribcage and part of the vertebral column.

• It cannot be taken off

• The limb bones are also modified to accommodate to the shell.

• the neck vertebrae flex vertically, allowing the head to be drawn straight back within the shell.

• the neck vertebrae flex laterally, allowing the neck to bend and pull the head in sideways  

return to top

    Family: Chelonidae

• The family Cheloniidae contains seven species within five genera

• females coming ashore only to nest.

• Cheloniids are large turtles, ranging between 71 cm

• The shell is oval or heart-shaped.

• Sea turtles have lost the ability to retract the head within the shell.

• Mating often involves the male and female pair floating near the surface 

return to top

    genus and species

return to top

    Facts

• Green sea turtles are reptiles whose ancestors evolved on land and retuned to sea.

• They are one of the few species so ancient that they watched the dinosaurs evolve and become extinct.

• Green sea turtles are worm blooded. They breath air are there skin is scales.  They have a boney outer shell to protect them from predators.

•  They are cold blooded.

•  They breath air and there skin has scales.

•  The green sea turtle is found in the tropical oceans.

• Hunters are catching turtles at the rate that they mite wipe them out.

•  The turtles are used for leather and their meat is sometimes used for soups.

•  The males can get from 2-6 feet in length. They can way up to 600 pounds.