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Previous Issues > May 2007 > Wildville! > The Tortoise
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 Wildville!
The Tortoise
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
 The 40 species of tortoises are much like turtles. Both animals are reptiles with shells that they can hide in. Tortoises are a little different than turtles because tortoises do not live in the water and always stay on land. Tortoises eat green leafy plants, like alfalfa, clover, and dandelions. Tortoises live mostly in Africa and Madagascar, but some are found in southern Europe and North America.
Turtles and tortoises are ancient life forms. The earliest fossils recognized as turtles date from the Triassic Period, about 200 million years ago, even before the dinosaurs!
All tortoises have domed shells and large hind legs. Tortoises found in Europe measure 7 to 10 inches long and are usually brown in color. North American tortoises are called gopher tortoises because they burrow in the ground. They are found in desert areas like New Mexico.
Giant tortoises live in Africa and the Galapagos Islands. These animals are rare or extinct (meaning not around anymore). They can weigh up to 700 pounds! And did you know that these tortoises have a special relationship with tiny birds, like the finch? Its called a symbiotic relationship, which means that they help each other. The birds pick ticks off of the tortoise. This provides food for the bird and helps the tortoise, too!
Tortoises also have very long lives. Harriet, shown here, was a giant Galapagos tortoise. Sir Charles Darwin collected Harriet from the island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos and took her back to England for scientific research, and then she was given to the zoo. See lived at the Australia Zoo until her death in 2006. It was believed that she was born in 1830, which would make her 176 years old when she died.
Most tortoises are on the endangered species list, which means that they are in danger of becoming extinct. When an animal is extinct, it is gone from our world forever.
Editorial research by Ashley Genova, a contributing writer from Fayetteville, NC. Sources: Brittanica Student Encyclopedia; Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.com; Phoenix Zoo, www.phoenixzoo.org; Australia Zoo, www.australiazoo.com.
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