tortoise

The Turtles (Testudines) or Chelonians form an order of reptiles whose characteristics are a skull without temporal pits and the presence of a carapace. There are currently (December 2019) 343 species recorded with various characteristics, but all are distinguished from other reptiles by a carapace which consists of a plastron at the level of the belly and a carapace on the top, connected by two bridges on the sides of the body. They are traditionally separated into three groups: tortoises (about 70 species), aquatic turtles, or freshwater turtles (about 260 species), and sea turtles (7 species).

Turtles are oviparous and spawning takes place every 10 and 12 months. The young grow quickly, then their development slows down. The diet of turtles can consist of meat or plants depending on the species.

The 86 genera of turtles are divided into 14 families. They are distributed over a large part of the globe and can live in very diverse habitats. Forty-two percent of these species are threatened with extinction, either due to the destruction of their habitats or excessive predation. In both cases, the influence of human beings is very important, despite the protective actions implemented.