Turtles:
A turtle is an animal with very hard shell. This shell helps the animal protect itself in times of danger. The different species of turtles vary from sea turtles, leatherback sea turtles, green sea turtles, and snapping turtles. The turtle is a reptile. It also has a lower shell called the plastron. Their body is protected with upper shell called carapace. Unlike land turtles, sea turtles can't hide their heads and legs inside the shell. That makes them more vulnerable when they come in contact with predators. Sea turtles spend most of their life in the ocean. Females can be seen on the beaches only during nesting season. During nesting season female will return back to the same beach where she was born. She will find the right beach even after 30 years of absence. Sea turtles don't have teeth, but their mouths are adapted to each type of food that they normally eat. Green Sea Turtle is vegetarian who eats sea grass, while other turtles eat crabs, clams, jellyfish, sea cucumbers� Sea turtles will grab and eat plastic bag from the water because it looks like a jellyfish. This could kill sea turtle. Sea turtles have lungs and breathe atmospheric air. They spend most of their time under water but they need to come to the surface of the water to grab some air. Size of sea turtles is specific for each species. Kemp's Ridley turtle weighs 80-100 pounds, while Leatherback turtle weighs more than 1000 pounds.
Crocodiles are large reptiles that live in fresh water, lakes, rivers, brackish water (mix between salty and fresh water). They can be found in tropic areas of Australia, Africa, America and Asia. There are 23 species of crocodiles and most of them are endangered because of poaching. Crocodile's skin is highly appreciated in fashion industry and represents a status symbol for wealthy people. Closest relatives of crocodiles are birds and dinosaurs. Crocodiles live on the Earth 240 million years. They appeared at the same time when dinosaurs appeared. Crocodiles vary in size. Largest crocodile species is Saltwater Crocodile which can reach 13-18 feet in length and weigh up to 2200 pounds. Smallest crocodile species is Dwarf Crocodile which can reach 5 feet in length and weigh up to 40-70 pounds. Crocodiles are meat-eaters (carnivores). They have 24 sharp teeth which are used for killing of fish, birds, mammals and small crocodile (their prey) Crocodiles don't chew their food. They tear apart flesh and swallow large chunks of meat. They sometimes swallow stones to ensure faster grinding of the food in their stomach. Expression "cry crocodile tears" is based on the true fact - crocodiles produce tears when they eat. They don't cry because they feel sorry for the prey, but because they swallow too much air, which gets in touch with lachrymal glands (glands that produce tears) and forces tears to flow. They have one of the strongest bites in the animal world. Muscles which induce closing of the jaw are much stronger than muscles which open the jaw. Because of that, people can use their bare hands to keep their mouth closed. Page Two