User:Faendalimas/Drafts/Turtle

Turtles are highly recognisable reptiles of the order Testudines comprising some 375 living species but with a very long and extensive fossil history. They are ectothermic and are identified by their bauplan of having a carapace enclosing the body of the animal. Turtles occur in a variety of habitats and are found in marine, freshwater and totally terrestrial environments. They also have a broad range of diets depending on the species and may include fish, snails, mussels, soft corals, marine jellyfish, carrion and vegetation. Turtles are among the most endangered group of vertebrates with 62% of species considered at risk on international lists such as the RedList.

Species and Classification of Turtles
Currently there are approximately 375 living species of turtles, though this number does include several recently extinct species (went extinct since 1600 ad) as this date is used as the cutoff between recent extinctions, generally caused by modern human activities, and species generally considered a part of the fossil history. Although a relatively small group in terms of overall diversity they do have an extensive fossil history going back to the Triassic. A major division in the classification of turtles is at the Sub-order level, the Pleurodira and the Cryptodira both terms also further defined on Wikipedia at Pleurodira and Cryptodira. This division in the classification is referring to the way the turtle withdraws its head into the carapace. The Cryptodira, hidden neck turtles, withdraw the head in the vertical plane. This leaves the neck inside the carapace and completely protected and unseen. The Pleurodira, side-necked turtles, withdraw the head in the horizontal plane by folding the neck. This leaves the neck still visible and can be prone to attack by predators. Among modern turtles the Pleurodira are only found in the southern hemisphere restricted to Australia, South America and Africa. Whereas the Cryptodira have a world-wide distribution.


 * Order: Testudines
 * Suborder: Cryptodira - Hidden Neck Turtles
 * SuperFamily: Chelonioidea
 * Family: Cheloniidae - Sea Turtles, e.g. Green Sea Turtle
 * Family: Dermochelyidae - Leatherback Sea Turtle
 * SuperFamily: Chelydoidea
 * Family: Chelydridae
 * Family: Dermatemydidae
 * Family: Kinosternidae
 * SuperFamily: Testudinoidea
 * Family: Emydidae
 * Family: Platysternidae
 * Family: Geoemydidae
 * Family: Testudinidae
 * SuperFamily: Trionychoidea
 * Carettochelyidae
 * Trionychidae
 * Pleurodira
 * Chelidae
 * Pelomedusidae
 * Podocnemididae