The classification of reptiles and amphibians as herps has bred the assumption that turtles are amphibians. This similarity is derived from the mere fact that neither species has an internal mechanism to regulate their body temperature (also known as cold-blooded).
Key aspects, including having a hard body covering, sets them apart as reptiles and not amphibians. They are also characterized by having scaleless coverings penetrated by water.
The turtle’s morphology (form and structure) and anatomy (parts and features) depend on its habitation. This gives a clear indication of the species’ classification despite the similarities that they both convey. Here is some more information on why turtles are not considered amphibians.
Four Similarities Between Turtles And Amphibians?
Here are four similarities between turtles and amphibians:
- They both depend on their environment to regulate their body temperature
- They both have the ability to shed their skin
- At the adult stage, amphibians breathe through their lungs same as turtles while at the larval stage, they breathe through their gills.
- They both live on land and water
Four Differences Between Turtles And Amphibians
Here are the four differences between turtles and amphibians:
- They need a moist environment to survive by absorbing oxygen and breathing through their thin skin while reptiles have dry, scaly skin that shields them from drying out.
- Amphibians lay their eggs in water with gelatinous coverings while turtles lay on land with a hard protective shell covering.
- Amphibians’ life cycle includes an aquatic larval stage (tadpole), while turtles do not go through the same.
- Amphibians lay their eggs, which are then fertilized externally by males, while turtles have to go through the mating process to internally fertilize the eggs before they are laid.
Turtle’s Anatomy And Morphology
They have a hydrodynamic shape, large size, and powerful front flippers that give them the leeway to not only swim long distances but dive in great depths. Their front flippers have long, narrow, and winglike features while their hind flippers are short.
While this can be characterized by sea and aquatic turtles, terrestrial turtles commonly known as box turtles because of their capability to draw themselves inside the shell and close like a box have slightly different anatomy.
They have four webbed limbs with long claws that enable them to clamber along the shores and riverbanks. The musk and snapping turtles also have a distinct set of anatomy with small cross-shaped plastrons that enable them to move efficiently at the bottom of water bodies.
Turtle’s Ecology
And while they don’t have teeth, they can crush, tear and bite food with their powerful jaws made of keratin(the same component found on fingernails)with horny ridges. Given their anatomy, they cannot survive for long periods underwater and have to resort to resurfacing often enough to breathe.
Although they are among the oldest species to traverse the earth given their slow growth process, with the furthest ever traveled distance recorded yet being 13,000 miles in 647 days, an equivalent to 20 miles a day; they only have seven species in existence globally.
This is a sad reality given that a single female can deposit 80-150 eggs in their reproductive cycle that takes 2-3 years. The amazing aspect of their reproductive process is that the hatchling sex is determined by the temperature condition of the nest(warm for females and cool for males).
And through their sensitivity to the earth’s magnetic field, the female species travel back to the shore where they hatched on to lay eggs. In retrospect, the males never return to the shore after finding their way into the sea.
