Frogs and Turtles
... meat. Frogs eat other frogs. Frogs generally breed in water. The male frog arrives at the breeding place first, and makes a distinct call to attract females. When a female frog of the same class arrives, the male will grab her and wraps his forearms around her in a strong “hug”. After this pairing has occurred, which can last anywhere from a few hours to several days, the spawning will begin. The female then will push the offspring mass out of her body while pressing her abdomen, the male then spreads his sperm over the egg clump. He releases his grip once this is complete. Eggs are commonly laid in water, although some eggs grow directly after being laid on land. Eggs laid on land are usually well camouflaged, however with the eggs camouflaged only several of the eggs will survive because other animals eat them. Even if they develop into tadpoles they still face the danger of being eaten by larger animals. Frogs are hunted for food by bats, raccoons, snakes, turtles, and other animals. Frogs reproduce in many ways, from laying eggs to giving birth to live young [“Aquafacts”]. Only the in the early stage of development do frogs have ribs. Frogs can almost have a 360° view [“Frogs and Toads,” 1349]. Frogs are found everywhere except Antarctica [“Frogs,” 120]. However, tropical regions have the greatest number of species [“Frog”]. Two-thirds of species live in freshwater [Baskin-Salzberg, 22]. Most of the frogs that can swim in the water have webbed-feet. Frogs that live in trees have a sticky pad at the end of their toes to help them climb trees. All adult frogs lack a tail and hair. A turtle, classified as a Phylum Chordata has a shell composed ot these parts. The first of the three is the upper shell called the carapace. The bottom shell is called plastron. The upper and bottom shell join together at the bridge. A turtle’s shell is made of two layers. The inner layer is made up of about sixty different bones including some of the backbone and ribs. The outer layer of most turtles is covered in horny scales called scutes. The scutes are considered the turtle’s epidermis. Scutes overlap on the turtles shell, adding even more protection to the turtle. Since the backbone is connected to the shell, the turtle can not crawl out of its shell. Since the shell of the turtle is connected to the ribs, the turtle can not use its ribs to deflate its lungs. Instead the turtle uses other muscles and expand and contract its lung. Turtles use their shell for protection and to help them float in the water. For additional protection, some turtles, if able, will pull their head and legs back into their shell. Thick eyelids protect the turtle’s eyes. A turtle’s vertebrae consists of 8 cervical, 10 trunk, and anywhere from 18-33 tail bones [“Turtles,” 3159]. Turtles move with their powerful legs. Figure 1: Lateral or Side View of Generlised Sea Turtle Skeleton [“Sea Turtle Skeleton”] Turtles are found everywhere except Antarctica, but more than two-thirds of all turtles are found in freshwater [Baskin-Salzberg, 22]. There are 270 know species of turtles [“Turtle,” Bartleby]. Of those 270 species, 42% are rare or threatened with extinction [“The Turtles,” 376]. There are about twelve families of turtles [“Turtle,” Encarta]. Turtle’s eggs are valued as food. It takes ten to thirty years to reach sexual maturity. Turtles that spend much of their time in water usually have flatter shells that a tortoise’s shell. When turtles lay eggs, they can have anywhere from two to twenty eggs, and mothers usually leave them to fend for themselves [“Turtles,” 3158]. Turtles eat plants and animals although they have no teeth. They use their strong sharp edged beak to eat. They can eat a little amount of food and keep it saved for up to three weeks, enabling them to survive for extend periods, to compensate for their poor hunting ability due to their speed. Turtles are hunted by sharks, humans, and other predators. Turtles can swim up to about 19mph. As you can see, frogs a...