If time travel were a reality, this would be a great opportunity to visit the distant Triassic period, to go on a journey several tens of millions of years ago with one single significant purpose - to see the ancestors of modern turtles with your own eyes.

The similarity of those turtles with the representatives existing in our time is significant. The manner of hiding the head under the shell, seeking protection from external aggressors, as well as the structure of the shell itself, consisting of bone plates under a dense stratum corneum, has not undergone any changes. A significant difference is only one thing - the giant size of the Triassic turtles.

Archelon

Archelon, just such a nickname was worn by a three-ton amphibious beauty. In length, this species could reach five meters, the head was one seventh of the entire length of the body. These giants moved thanks to the front flippers, similar to giant wings. The main diet was jellyfish and crustaceans existing in considerable quantities.

Only sharks and now extinct, similar to giant reptile snakes - mosasaurs - were afraid of such individuals. During the breeding season, turtles laid eggs, climbing out to land, and then again returned to the seabed.

Turtles - Atlanta

Turtles - Atlanteans weighing about four tons, unlike the Archelons, lived mainly on land and were considered the most massive species of all known land owners of the shell.Despite their size, they were distinguished by their timidity; when the slightest threat arose, they pulled their heads under an armor with an unusual speed. In the diet they preferred various kinds of vegetation.

Proganochelis

Another ancestor of modern turtles was Proganohelis. This is one of the species of extinct turtles that are of great interest to scientists and researchers. This suborder belongs to the species Proganochelydia. The mysterious suborder also holds many secrets and secrets. The oldest tortoise known to science is about two hundred thirty million years old. Unlike its counterparts, its main characteristic was not its gigantic size, but the presence of teeth and a horny beak, as well as several more primitive signs. Proganochelis could not pull the limbs and head under the carapace, for the place of this paw and neck were covered with hard, pointed scales that performed protective functions. This distinguished them from most modern turtles.

Seychelles tortoise

In the modern world, perhaps only the Seychelles turtle boasts a considerable size. This reptile got its name because of the only habitat - the island of Aldabra, which is part of the group of Seychelles. Seychelles turtle - a large amphibian, reaching one hundred and twenty centimeters, has a squat body and a rather small head. Their population is not high.

Interesting facts about turtles

An interesting fact is that the theory of the evolution of turtles has not yet been deduced by scientists.This is primarily due to the fact that up to now it has not been possible to find the remains of the transitional forms of this species, although it is worth noting that not a lot of fossilized remains of ancient turtles were found. There is only an assumption that turtles take their origin from the most primitive reptiles of cotilosaurs.

Along with reducing the size range, modern representatives of turtles are deprived of any kind of teeth. Equating the latter to the sharp edges of their powerful jaws, thanks to which they can bite off food, is quite a mistake. When eating solid and fibrous foods such as meat, turtles prefer to initially break their prey into small pieces using the claws of their forelegs. Some individuals are endowed with the ability to crush food with the help of horn ridges in the mouth.

Turtles clearly feel any slightest fluctuations in the soil, which in some way interchange their specific hearing. They are able to capture only low-frequency sounds at an average level of one and a half thousand hertz. It should be noted that auditory reactions are required only during the mating season, when males attract a female to themselves by a loud low roar. They have excellent vision. Land representatives are able to distinguish the entire spectrum of flowers and choose the plant of the most striking juicy color. This is complemented by a well-developed sense of smell and sense of direction.

If we consider the aquarium species of amphibians of this class, then it should be noted that they are quite quick to get used to the host,the ability to recognize the lactator and provide him with a variety of greeting signs. Although everything can be much simpler and the pet is just waiting for the next treat.

Modern science has almost completely studied turtles, but this is far from all. There are about 230 species of turtles in the world, and 350 are with subspecies. Today, scientists often argue to which genus this or that species can be attributed, as well as about the names of these genera and species. Therefore, you can often find disagreements in the lists with the species of turtles.

Turtles live everywhere: in the sunny desert, in rivers, in forests, in swamps, oceans, highlands and seas. However, an important condition for them is the presence of heat. Since they need warm water to continue the genus. Most of the species of turtles are on the verge of extinction, as they are exterminated for exquisite cooking and for the needs of traditional medicine. According to data, one in three turtles dies from a fishing craft. Therefore, now more than ever help and protection of a person is required.