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Scutes on an alligator foot. A scute (/ s k j uː t / ⓘ) or scutum (Latin: scutum; plural: scuta "shield") is a bony external plate or scale overlaid with horn, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodilians, and the feet of birds.
In Australia, which lacks true tortoises (family Testudinidae), non-marine turtles were traditionally called tortoises, but more recently turtle has been used for the entire group. [ 4 ] The name of the order, Testudines ( / t ɛ ˈ s tj uː d ɪ n iː z / ⓘ teh- STEW -din-eez ), is based on the Latin word testudo 'tortoise'; [ 5 ] and was ...
The light and flexible shell of these turtles allows them to move more easily in open water or in muddy lake bottoms. Having a soft shell also allows them to move much faster on land than most turtles. [4] Their feet are webbed and three-clawed, hence the family name "Trionychidae," which means "three-clawed".
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They stand at 5.5 feet high and weigh up to 9,000 pounds. Despite being so heavy, they’re fast, reaching 30 mph in short bursts. They kill on land and in the water, sometimes purposely turning ...
In some reptiles, a midventral wall in the cloaca may open into a urinary bladder, but not all. It is present in all turtles and tortoises as well as most lizards, but is lacking in the monitor lizard, the legless lizards. It is absent in the snakes, alligators, and crocodiles. [101] Many turtles and lizards have proportionally very large bladders.
Northern map turtles breed in the spring and fall. Most mating takes place in deep waters. The nesting period lasts from May to July. Unshaded sites with sandy soil are highly preferred. The female usually chooses well-drained areas for depositing the eggs. The nest cavity is dug with the hind feet. The size of the clutch is between six and 20.