Turtle Links
http://www.tortoise.org/cttclink.html
The California Turtle & Tortoise Club’s guide to turtle and tortoise resources.

Turtles on Death Row
http://www.conservation.org/xp/news/press_releases/2003/051503.xml
Top 25 species of endangered turtles.

Helmeted Terrapin
http://www.eti.uva.nl/Turtles/Turtles3a.html
Facts and photos about this African hunter.

Interesting Turtle Facts
http://www.petplace.com/Articles/artShow.asp?artID=4385
Amazing tidbits about this ancient creature.

American Tortoise Rescue
http://www.tortoise.com
A nonprofit organization that rescues and rehabilitates tortoises and turtles.

World Chelonian Trust
http://www.chelonia.org
Organization that promotes the conservation of all tortoises and freshwater turtles.

Turtle Homes Rescue
http://www.turtlehomes.org
A nonprofit organization dedicated to the safety and welfare of turtles and tortoises worldwide.

The Turtle Ranch
http://www.theturtleranch.com
Web page of a sanctuary for turtles and tortoises who cannot survive in the wild.

Turtle Facts
http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/spellcast/turtlefacts.html
More about the odd and wonderful world of turtles.

Turtle Stewardship
http://www.wtgrain.org/turtle/w3ncare.htm
Useful tips and how-to’s.

Books

Dodd, C. Kenneth. NORTH AMERICAN BOX TURTLES: A NATURAL HISTORY. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 2002.

Ernst, Carl. TURTLES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000.

Orenstein, Ronald. TURTLES, TORTOISES AND TERRAPINS: SURVIVORS IN ARMOR. New York: Firefly Books, 2001.

Palika, Liz. TURTLES & TORTOISES FOR DUMMIES. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2001.

Wilke, Haarmut. TURTLES AND TORTOISES: CARING FOR THEM, FEEDING THEM, UNDERSTANDING THEM (Family Pet Series). New York: Barrons Educational Series, 1998.

At first glance, they look harmless enough. Africa’s helmeted terrapins often sit motionless in grassland water holes, silently watching the herds of animals that come to sip from their muddy homes.

But as NATURE’s The Reptiles: Turtles and Tortoises shows in vivid detail, the helmeted terrapin can be also be a surprisingly quick and agile predator. Working in packs, like wolves, groups of terrapins can corner and devour birds that pause too long by the water’s edge. One early biologist watched, stunned, as a pack of seemingly sleepy terrapins suddenly attacked a wading bird, “dragging it underwater to devour it.”

Such coordinated cunning may seem surprising for a turtle. But the world’s nearly 300 species have a remarkable range of behaviors, from wood turtles that stomp on the ground to attract worms, to sea turtles that can travel thousands of miles to lay eggs on the very beaches where they were born. Then there are the cleverly deceptive snapping turtles, which can have body parts shaped like wriggling worms or finning fish — all designed to lure prey to their doom.

This diversity isn’t surprising. After all, these shelled reptiles have had some 200 million years to evolve into today’s dazzling array of shapes and sizes. They live on all the world’s continents and in all the world’s oceans — except the frigid polar regions.

In general, there are three groups of turtles: Tortoises, which live on land but sometimes take a dip in water; terrapins, which live mainly in water but lay their eggs on land; and sea turtles, which spend much of their lives paddling about the ocean, but lay their eggs on beaches. There are 8 species of sea turtles, about 180 kinds of terrapins, and nearly 100 varieties of tortoises. The biggest turtle, the leatherback sea turtle, can grow to 8 feet long and weigh 2,000 pounds. The smallest, the southern speckled padloper of Southern Africa, can be just 4 inches long and weigh only a few ounces.

Turtles have held great significance in many cultures. Whatever their size, however, turtles have long figured large in the human imagination. Some tribes say the world was born on the back of a turtle. Some Hindus picture the universe being held up by four elephants — all perched on a turtle’s shell. Other cultures hail the turtle as a symbol of resilience and practicality, since it carries its home on its back. Folk tales celebrate its determination — such as when the speedy but overconfident hare is beaten in a race by a plodding but persevering turtle.

Unfortunately, turtles have also figured heavily in the human diet. Turtle soup and turtle meat are mainstays in some cultures, leading to the overhunting of some species. But just as big a threat comes from the destruction of turtle habitat, from the freshwater swamps that harbor many species, to the oceanside beaches where sea turtles must lay their eggs. Overall, nearly 3 dozen species are considered rare or endangered, including nearly all of the sea turtles.

Luckily, turtles have an increasing number of allies. Around the world, people are realizing that shells aren’t always enough to protect these remarkable reptiles, and are taking steps to save populations. Like Africa’s helmeted terrapins, these turtle protectors are learning that there is strength in numbers.

NATURE’s The Reptiles: Turtles and Tortoises takes a close look at ancient creatures marching slowly through the millennia.

A turtle’s shell is among the most peculiar but successful pieces of design in the natural world. Unchanged for 200 million years, it has allowed the various species of turtles to populate almost everywhere in the world. But the limitations of life in a shell are causing turtles problems in today’s world. Over exploitation by humans has caused many turtle species to become extinct or endangered. This episode introduces some inspirational people who are trying to help them.

To order a copy of The Reptiles: Turtles and Tortoises, please visit the NATURE Shop.

Online content for The Reptiles: Turtles and Tortoises was originally posted February 2003.