Soft Shell Turtle
Trionychidae is a taxomic family which comprises a number of turtle genera commonly known as soft-shell turtles. It consists of some of the world's largest fresh water turtles, though many can adapt to living in highly brackish areas. Members of this family occur in Africa, Asia, North America, and the East Indies.
They are called "soft shelled" because their carapace lacks horny scutes (scales), though the Spiny Softshell Turtle, Apalone spinifera, does have some scale-like projections, hence its name. The carapace is leathery and pliable, particularly at the sides. The central part of the carapace has a layer of solid bone beneath it, as in other turtles, but this is absent at the outer edges. Some species also have dermal bones in the plastron, but these are not attached to the bones of the shell. The light and flexible shell of these turtles allows them to move more easily in open water, or in muddy lake bottoms
Mud Turtle
Mud turtle is the common name given to two genera of aquatic turtles: Kinosternon, mud turtles found in North and South America, and Pelusios, mud turtles found in Africa. Some species are kept as pets.
Mud turtles are known for their dull shell colors and relation to the smelly musk turtles. African and American mud turtles are very different and are not closely related. Their only similarities are in their choice of habitat, both preferring shallow, slow moving bodies of water with muddy bottoms, and having a dome shaped carapace. They can grow up to about 5 inches. They live up to 50 years of age.
Texas Box Turtle
Box Turtles (genus Terrapene) can be distinguished from other native Texas turtles by having a single hinge at the front of the lower shell (plastron), allowing them to fold it up and closing the front of the shell entirely; thus the common name of "box turtle." Box turtles also have a hooked upper jaw ("beak") that is lacking in other Texas turtles. The only other land turtle in Texas is the Texas Tortoise; it lacks any hinges on the plastron, has a head entirely covered with scales rather than having skin, and has a very rough upper shell (carapace). Male box turtles have red eyes (females yellow or golden), a longer tail with a thick base (females shorter and thinner), and a somewhat concave plastron (females have a flat one).
Snake Neck Turtle
The Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi) is an extremely threatened turtle species from Rote Island southwest of Timor between New Guinea and Australia. It belongs to the genus Chelodina (Australian snake-necked turtles) within the family of Side-necked turtles (Chelidae)The Roti Island Snake-necked turtle was split from the New Guinea Snake-necked Turtle and regarded as distinct species in 1994 after Dr. Anders Rhodin, director of the Chelonian Research Foundation in Lunenburg (Massachusetts), find out that there are differences between the two species. The first snake-necked turtles on Roti Island were discovered in 1891 by George Albert Boulenger. It was named for Dr. William McCord, a vetenary and turtle expert from Hopewell Junction, New York. The carapace can reach a length between 18 and 24 centimetres. The length of the neck is similar. The color of the carapace is pale grey brown. Occasionally there are also specimens which have a chestnut coloured hue. The plastron is pale buff white. The neck is dark brown on the upperparts with round tubercles. The underparts are beige white. The iris is black surrounded by a white ring. Its habitat are swamps, rice terraces, and small lakes.
Red Footed Turtle
Common Names: Sometimes also called red foot (or redfoot), redleg, or Savanna tortoises. There is a slightly smaller variety called the Cherry-head as well.
Life Span: Red footed tortoises live up to 50 years, possibly longer.
Size: Red footed tortoises often reach a length of 10-14 inches, although they can be larger (16 inches or more). A slightly smaller "dwarf" variety is also being sold, commonly called the cherry-head that only attains a length of 10 - 12 inches as an adult. They can reach weights up to 30 pounds.
Trionychidae is a taxomic family which comprises a number of turtle genera commonly known as soft-shell turtles. It consists of some of the world's largest fresh water turtles, though many can adapt to living in highly brackish areas. Members of this family occur in Africa, Asia, North America, and the East Indies.
They are called "soft shelled" because their carapace lacks horny scutes (scales), though the Spiny Softshell Turtle, Apalone spinifera, does have some scale-like projections, hence its name. The carapace is leathery and pliable, particularly at the sides. The central part of the carapace has a layer of solid bone beneath it, as in other turtles, but this is absent at the outer edges. Some species also have dermal bones in the plastron, but these are not attached to the bones of the shell. The light and flexible shell of these turtles allows them to move more easily in open water, or in muddy lake bottoms
Mud Turtle
Mud turtle is the common name given to two genera of aquatic turtles: Kinosternon, mud turtles found in North and South America, and Pelusios, mud turtles found in Africa. Some species are kept as pets.
Mud turtles are known for their dull shell colors and relation to the smelly musk turtles. African and American mud turtles are very different and are not closely related. Their only similarities are in their choice of habitat, both preferring shallow, slow moving bodies of water with muddy bottoms, and having a dome shaped carapace. They can grow up to about 5 inches. They live up to 50 years of age.
Texas Box Turtle
Box Turtles (genus Terrapene) can be distinguished from other native Texas turtles by having a single hinge at the front of the lower shell (plastron), allowing them to fold it up and closing the front of the shell entirely; thus the common name of "box turtle." Box turtles also have a hooked upper jaw ("beak") that is lacking in other Texas turtles. The only other land turtle in Texas is the Texas Tortoise; it lacks any hinges on the plastron, has a head entirely covered with scales rather than having skin, and has a very rough upper shell (carapace). Male box turtles have red eyes (females yellow or golden), a longer tail with a thick base (females shorter and thinner), and a somewhat concave plastron (females have a flat one).
Snake Neck Turtle
The Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi) is an extremely threatened turtle species from Rote Island southwest of Timor between New Guinea and Australia. It belongs to the genus Chelodina (Australian snake-necked turtles) within the family of Side-necked turtles (Chelidae)The Roti Island Snake-necked turtle was split from the New Guinea Snake-necked Turtle and regarded as distinct species in 1994 after Dr. Anders Rhodin, director of the Chelonian Research Foundation in Lunenburg (Massachusetts), find out that there are differences between the two species. The first snake-necked turtles on Roti Island were discovered in 1891 by George Albert Boulenger. It was named for Dr. William McCord, a vetenary and turtle expert from Hopewell Junction, New York. The carapace can reach a length between 18 and 24 centimetres. The length of the neck is similar. The color of the carapace is pale grey brown. Occasionally there are also specimens which have a chestnut coloured hue. The plastron is pale buff white. The neck is dark brown on the upperparts with round tubercles. The underparts are beige white. The iris is black surrounded by a white ring. Its habitat are swamps, rice terraces, and small lakes.
Red Footed Turtle
Common Names: Sometimes also called red foot (or redfoot), redleg, or Savanna tortoises. There is a slightly smaller variety called the Cherry-head as well.
Life Span: Red footed tortoises live up to 50 years, possibly longer.
Size: Red footed tortoises often reach a length of 10-14 inches, although they can be larger (16 inches or more). A slightly smaller "dwarf" variety is also being sold, commonly called the cherry-head that only attains a length of 10 - 12 inches as an adult. They can reach weights up to 30 pounds.
Reference: wikipedia
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