20 May 2021

Turtle and tortoise shells



A tip of the blogging hat to an anonymous reader who identified the species:
Top row: eastern box turtle, pancake tortoise and Bell’s hingeback tortoise. 
Middle row: radiated tortoise, Florida box turtle and Burmese star tortoise. 
Bottom row: spotted turtle, Bourret’s box turtle and European pond turtle.

4 comments:

  1. identified, from the original instagram posting.

    I-)

    garden_state_tortoise Isn’t it downright staggering? The shell of many species of turtle and tortoise is so intricately marked and colored yet they are perfectly designed by nature to blend right into their natural habitats. Top row left to right: eastern box turtle, pancake tortoise and Bell’s hingeback tortoise. Middle row left to right: radiated tortoise, Florida box turtle and Burmese star tortoise. Bottom row left to right: spotted turtle, Bourret’s box turtle and European pond turtle.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wonder if the markings are related to the markings on snakes, another reptile? Just as, say, a diamondback rattler has distinctive markings, so, too, do turtles.

    When we see a cow, we do not (at least at first) note its markings, but it's shape. Maybe the fact that snakes can be venomous is the key reason we notice their markings almost as quickly as we determine that it's a snake.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Almost as beautiful and varied as beetles, but sadly far fewer in numbers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So maybe this is why the Chinese started using tortoise shells as divinatory tools?

    ReplyDelete