European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 11, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page1b stars and stripes tuesday february 11, 1986 world s oldest surviving reptile fit Turtle endurance National geographic t heir ancestors roamed the Earth some275 million years ago even before the appalachian mountains were formed. The first recognizable member of the species appears in the Fossil record about 185 million years ago Many sons before the Peak of the dinosaurs. And today Long after the dinosaurs demise the Turtle remains its dome still perched on its Back. Turtles seem to have hit on a Good conservative thing says or. Archie Carr a world authority on them. Turtles Clung to their Basic structural design while Many other animals experimented their Way into the Turtle s protective Shell actually consists of two parts the top half called the carapace and the lower half the Pastron. Eight vertebrae in this reptile s neck compared with the seven of most mammals allow most turtles to fold their necks and retract into their shells. Most turtles also can retract All our limbs As Well As their head Between the two shells. In addition to breathing through a set of lungs Freshwater turtles can use their Mouth cavity in Gill like fashion. Water is drawn through the nostrils oxygen absorbed in the Mouth and the water expelled. A few turtles can even absorb Small amounts of oxygen through their skin while submerged in mud. Aquatic turtles have Little in common with the Poky Tortoise that almost lost the race to the Hare. They re extremely fast. The smooth soft Shell Turtle for example can out swim the speedy Brook Trout. Webbing Between toes increases swimming Speed while allowing some species to walk underwater to browse. The world s 180 kinds of Freshwater turtles include animals patterned with dots splashes and hieroglyphs. The spotted Turtle for instance is sprinkled with dozens of yellow polka dots. The markings on the juvenile map Turtle resemble contours on an ancient Chart. Freshwater turtles vary in size from the stink pot a three Lnch Iong variety that exudes a Musky fluid when disturbed to the Alligator snapper a giant native o1 the South Central United states that can weigh up to 250 pounds. The bite of the Alligator snapper is legendary. Late one night 16 years ago related a Veteran Florida Turtle Hunter my son and i pulled an old 75-Pound Alligator snapper out of a swamp. Like a fool i put the snapper right behind me in the boat. After a time we got stuck in some Reeds so i reached Back for a paddle and slam something hit my hand so fast i did t know what had happened. Then All of a sudden there was blood everywhere and my son was shouting. Dad two of your fingers just dropped into the Bottom of the boat " those who dare to peer into an Alligator snapper s Mouth would see a Rose coloured worm like appendage projecting from its Tongue used to lure minnows. Dissected stomachs of Alligator snappers have turned up baby alligators raccoons snakes atoms shoes and other turtles. The increasingly rare Alligator snapper is still legally hunted in Many states. A few other Turtle species such As new England s Plymouth red bellied Turtle Are in More serious trouble. Considered endangered since National geographic Suwanna to Otto Cru in water off Hilda i Rainbow run. Turtlott wort Dan Iaun totem Poralla. 1980, a few Hundred red bellies survive in glacial Ponds with the help of conservationists. One threat to Toma Rainwater turtles survival is a slow rate of reproduction. Mating can be elaborate. Each species has a courtship ritual of its own. Common snapping turtles for example face each other and sweep their Heads Tram Side to Side in opposite directions. After several minutes the two turtles return their Heads to dead Center and stare at each other Lor a while before mating. The male red eared Slider tickles the female s neck As he swims backward and she Forward. The two eventually sink to the Pond Bottom where they mate. Author White diving in a Lorida River. Is the first to fully describe the courtship dance of the Peninsula cooler the female is As Large As my diving Flipper the male less than half her size. He rides like a Hitchhiker atop her carapace while Green strands of algae resembling Gossamer threads Trail from their shells. With for feet pressed to each Side of her yellow and Black neck the male gently tickles her with his Needle Sharp claws. Like kites reeled in on a string the pair drifts slowly downward shells immobile but legs and tails parading. Suddenly the male cooler slides backward on his mate s Shell his Tail curving beneath her own. At this moment mating takes place. The pair passes by oblivious of me in the trance of their egg laying can be nearly As ritualistic. Many females dig a chamber near water s Edge Lay their eggs and cover the nest. At least three varieties however practice triple clutching. They Lay most of their eggs in a main nest an then add two smaller pockets for one or two eggs each. Some scientists believe the pockets Are decoys designed to distract predators from the main clutch but Archie Carr has doubts. Two or three eggs in a Little Side pocket Aren t going to fool a hungry Raccoon they probably act More like a Beacon he says. It s still a mystery and i be been losing sleep Over it for 30 author of oust in in 10uck Utsu Tae. Me . 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