TURTLES
SHELLED CREATURES OF LAND AND SEA
By Caitlind L. Alexander
A LearningIsland.com
15 - Minute Book
Editor: Jennifer Robinson
Photos by Clipart.com
Smashwords Edition
(c) Copyright 2004 Caitlind L. Alexander. All rights reserved.
Published by LearningIsland.com.
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Turtles: Shelled Creatures of Land and Sea / Caitlind L. Alexander
Summary: A brief look at the lives of turtles.
1. Turtles. Juvenile Literature. 2. Amphibians. Juvenile Literature.
Created in USA
RL: 3.0
W: 1982
What is a Turtle?
How would you like to carry your bed around with you all day and night? Any time you wanted to you could tuck yourself in for a nap. That's what a turtle does.
A turtle is an animal that carries its house with it. Turtles have shells on the top and bottom of their bodies.
Turtles live inside their shell. They can tuck their legs, head and tail into their shell. They do this when they go to sleep and when they are scared.
A turtle's shell has patterns on it. Most shells are green, but some shells have red and yellow marks on them.
Some turtles have two front legs with claws. Their back legs are often cupped. This helps them dig holes or swim in the water. Most sea turtles have flippers instead of front legs. That makes it easier to swim in the sea.
Turtles are reptiles. That means they belong to the same animal family as lizards and snakes. There are more than 300 kinds of turtles in the world.
Turtles cannot change their body temperature. They are as hot or as cold as the air or water that they are in. If a turtle needs to warm up, it will crawl into the sun. If it needs to cool down, it will crawl into the water. Turtles in the desert dig down into cool sand and then cover themselves with sand to stay cool.