Introduction

Turtles definitely are appealing creatures. People readily develop the same sort of warm feelings for turtles otherwise reserved for hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, and kittens - except, of course, those people who regard turtles primarily as a source of food.

Apart from the feelings of affinity and affection they evoke, turtles are interesting because they are not quite what they seem. On land, they may be awkward and slow, but in water, the natural element for many, they are creatures of speed and grace.

Similarly, the turtle's shell creates the sense that it is a simple, one-dimensional, somewhat comical creature, and throughout history the turtle has been the butt of many fables and jokes.

The turtle's shell is a remarkable feat of natural engineering that, in its differing forms, has assisted the turtle in adapting to a variety of environments. Turtles has thrived on Earth for more than 150 million years.

In America, all species that are semiaquatic or fully aquatic are called turtles (for instance, painted turtles and leatherback turtles); d»e term "tortoise" refers to species that live primarily on land (the desert tortoise, for example).

The term "terrapin," derived from a Native American word, is used primarily to mean any turtle that is old to be eaten ''referring mostly to the diamondback terrapin, but also to cooters and sliders' and sliders. The term "turtle" is correct when applied to any shelled reptile.