Named for raised patterns on the large scales covering their shell, these captive diamondback terrapins, seen basking in their habitat exhibit at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, also demonstrate the fact that no two terrapins look exactly alike. 35 www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM While all terrapins look physically similar, no two terrapins are exactly alike. Close examination of their face and neck skin reveals each turtle’s unique pattern of dark black spots, dashes and broken lines on otherwise pale, greenish-gray skin, rather like human fingerprints. What makes a turtle a turtle? A turtle is a reptilian animal. Its body is shielded by a bony shell — a fused construction of flattened ribs and backbone on top; the carapace; and a rigid underside called a plastron, composed of fused sternum bones comparable to bones on the front of our chest. Covering the bony carapace are large scales called scutes. All turtles have some form of body covering, though some species lack a solid bony shell, including the oceanic leatherback turtle, and various freshwater softshell turtles. Similar to people, turtles also have hands and feet, with respective fingers and toes. They have two legs, each supported by a femur, tibia and fibula bones; and two arms supported by a humerus, radius and ulna bones. Who knew we had so much in common? Unlike people, a turtle’s bony jaws are covered by a keratin-rich growth called a rhamphotheca, otherwise known as a beak, the same as with birds. The edge of a turtle’s beak may be very sharp, and with some turtles, strongly serrated for cutting tough plant and other tissue. When mis-handled, a frightened turtle may be capable of delivering a painful bite. It’s a terrapin’s life Never found far from brackish water, and usually in and around salt marshes, these aquatic reptiles sport strongly webbed feet that help propel them through their watery realm, especially in search of small animals to eat, including snails, clams, crabs and
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