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[HOME] HOW
TO CARE FOR AUSTRALIAN FRESHWATER TORTOISES
 Page
3 DESCRIPTIONS
(continued from page 2)
Saw-shelled snappers
Elseya latisternum babies have a carapace which rises to a
ridge along the middle, from head to tail. The outside edges
of the carapace are serrated. The carapace is made up of a
number of 'shields', the colour of which ranges from grey
to brown with shades of very dark brown.
The skin is brown except for the underside of the neck, which
is creamy-coloured. As the babies grow older the serrations
disappear from all except the rear edge of the carapace.
Under the lower jaw of Elseya latisternum are two small barbels
of projecting skin, which look almost like a little beard.
The neck is covered with nodules of scaly skin (not always
evident in babyhood) and the skin on top of the head becomes
coloured to match the carapace, so that when the tortoise
has withdrawn its head, the vulnerable top of the head looks
like part of the hard shell.
Carapace
of Elseya Latisternum
The Australian Saw-Shelled Snapper
Murray short-necked
tortoises
Murray short-necked tortoise hatchlings look similar to baby
saw-shelled snappers, with a circular, serrated carapace rising
to a ridge from head to tail. As the tortoise matures the serrations
disappear to form a smooth edge all around the carapace. The
ridge flattens and the carapace becomes more oval in shape.
The shells of babies are usually bone coloured or a light yellow.
Tortoises are social animals. It is kinder
to purchase two rather than one as a pet, as one by itself will
be lonely and stressed, just as a human being would be. They
enjoy each other's company.
Tortoises do not have teeth, but bite their food with a hard
horny ridge around their mouths, also using their claws to tear
at it.
When babies, tortoises are about the size of a ten or twenty
cent piece.
In three years, a short-necked tortoise can grow to up to 165mm
(61-2 inches) from nose to tail and 10cm (4 inches) across the
carapace.
Aquatic tortoises love to be in the water most of the time,
but they must be able to come out of the water onto land if
they wish. They do not have gills, like fish, but breathe air
with their lungs and store it inside their, bodies to use while
they are under water.
MENU:
Tortoise Descriptions:
PAGE 1 PAGE 2 PAGE
3
Indoor Living Quarters: PAGE
4 PAGE 5 PAGE
6 PAGE 7 PAGE
8 PAGE 9
Outdoor Living Quarters: PAGE
10
Feeding: PAGE 11
Hibernation: PAGE 12
Ailments: PAGE 13
Behaviour and Intelligence: PAGE
14
How Old is the Tortoise? PAGE
14
Dangers: PAGE 15
Reproduction and Sexual Differences PAGE
15
References: PAGE 16
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