Can land turtles swim?

Tortoises belong to terrestrial reptiles of the family Turtles, which symbolize slowness, firmness and longevity in folklore. Because they are physiologically limited by ambient temperature, their distribution in the natural environment is far less extensive than that of ordinary mammals, and because individuals move slowly, so their migration behavior is not as obvious as birds. Many people cannot help but ask whether land turtles can swim. Let's take a look at whether tortoises can swim or not.

Can land turtles swim?

Tortoises can't swim. The tortoise's body structure is not suitable for swimming, but it can not be said that he can not swim suddenly drowned, after all, the tortoise shell will also produce a certain buoyancy, it can only be said that his evolution is not suitable for water life, but adapt to land life. In addition, after soaking in the water for a long time, some turtles will appear the phenomenon of rotten armour. Some can float and then instinctively move their limbs, while others think that it is swimming. For example, tortoises can float longer when they are hungry and empty, but this does not always mean that they can swim. Some tortoises that are partial to water can last longer. In addition, just because they can "swim" doesn't mean they can live in the water.

There is a kind of four-clawed tortoise in the Taklimakan Desert of China. Unlike ordinary tortoises, this kind of tortoise has only four claws on each limb, and has no web between its toes, so it can only stay on land for life and live in caves. So it is also called dry turtle and prairie tortoise. All right, this is the end of the introduction to whether tortoises can swim or not. let's take a look at the common tortoises.

Galapagos tortoise

The Galapagos tortoise is the largest tortoise, distributed only on nine small islands in the Galapagos Islands. There are 12 subspecies with high dorsal nail eminence, symmetrical large scales at the top of the head, short skulls, scales not connected with the parietal bone, frontal bone not entering the orbit, and retroorbital bone degeneration or almost disappearance. The posterior part of the square bone is usually closed, completely surrounding the stapes. The maxillary bone is almost connected with the square yoke bone, and there is or no central ridge on the masticatory surface of the upper jaw. The dorsal ventral nail is firmly connected by bone seams through the nail bridge. The limbs are stout and cylindrical. Phalanges and phalanges not more than 2 segments, clawed, unwebbed. No stinky glands. Herbivorous, eat cactus and fruit, pineapple, water fern, leaves and grass. Can live in a drier environment. It is also a very slow-moving animal that can only move 260 meters per hour.

Leopard tortoise

The leopard-print tortoise, also known as the leopard tortoise, belongs to the family tortoise family leopard tortoise. The dorsal nail can be up to 68 cm long, the head and neck are yellowish brown and spotless, the forehead scale is 1 to 2, the top scale is several small scales, the dorsal nail is a mixture of dark and light colors, 2 armpit shields, 1 crotch shield, connected with the femoral shield, the male is larger than the female tortoise. The habitat is dry steppe and shrub, which needs a wide space for indoor and outdoor activities. I like to live on the semi-dry grassland with thorns and sleep in the hot season. Generally speaking, leopard turtles reach sexual maturity in 12-15 years.

Sukada tortoise

Sukada tortoise, also known as Sukada tortoise, Sukada tortoise, etc., is a very active tortoise. The dorsal nail is high, the top of the head is symmetrical large scale, the skull is short, the scaly bone is not connected with the parietal bone, the frontal bone does not enter the orbit, the retroorbital bone degenerates or almost disappears, the posterior part of the square bone is usually closed, completely surrounds the stapes, and the maxilla is almost connected with the square yoke bone. There is or no central ridge on the masticatory surface of the maxilla. The dorsal ventral nail is firmly connected by bone seams through the nail bridge. The limbs are stout and cylindrical. Phalanges and phalanges not more than 2 segments, clawed, unwebbed. No stinky glands. Herbivorous, you can live in a drier environment. Distributed in Ethiopia, Sudan, Senegal, Mali, Chad and other countries in Africa.

Pancake turtle

The pancake tortoise is a very special and small tortoise that will hide in the stone when it encounters an enemy, so its shell is very flat and soft. Pancake turtles live in Kenya and Tanzania. They can squeeze into stone crevices and are not easily pulled out by predators. They are mainly herbivorous. Grass, forage, dandelion, wild pea, plantain and cactus are all food for pancake turtles.

elongated tortoise

Burmese tortoises, also known as elephant turtles, dragon claw turtles, dry turtles, pillow turtles and so on, are one of the most common tortoises on the market. China is distributed in Guangxi and Yunnan. Although Burmese tortoises are often sold in farmers' markets and pet markets in other provinces and cities, they are not produced locally. Most of them are imported from Southeast Asia and then scattered to various places. In recent years, the depletion of resources has made almost all Burmese tortoises rely on imports and some traders to smuggle them. Except for China, Burmese tortoises are mainly distributed in northeastern India to Vietnam and Malay Peninsula, including Nepal, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Cambodia. The highest production areas are concentrated in Thailand, Myanmar, southern Vietnam, Laos and so on.

Indian tortoise

Indian tortoises are also known as Sulawesi tortoises, Sulawesi tortoises, Siribes tortoises and so on. The eating habits of wild Indian tortoises have not been recorded. Under artificial breeding conditions, Indian tortoises like to eat plant bait, and melons, fruits and leaves are its food. such as cucumbers, bananas, apples, cabbage leaves, watermelons and other fruits and vegetables, but also eat lean pork, pig liver, duck liver, especially bananas, but do not eat sweet melons, celery, shrimp, fish. With simple, not delicate temperament, timid, afraid of people, small (about 500 grams) after artificial breeding for a period of time, can take the initiative to approach people, and can crawl with their owners.