Biol. 452 - Alligator & Turtle Specimen Photos

ALLIGATOR & TURTLE SPECIMEN PHOTOS

Biol. 452 - Vertebrate Natural History

K. Petersen's Home Page Biol. 452 Home Page

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ALLIGATOR PHOTOS

ORDER CROCODYLIA
Family Alligatoridae

American Alligator
Broad, rounded snout; no bony ridge between eyes.

ORDER CROCODYLIA
Family Alligatoridae

American Alligator
Close up of alligator's head, with mouth open.

EXTRA BITS ON TURTLES

The feet of painted turtles have slight webbing between the toes. The larger foot on top is a female's & the smaller, lower one is a male's. These male's have longer claws than the females.
A close up look inside the carapace of the youngest box turtle carapace (left) shows the growth pattern of the flattened ribs. The ribs have not yet fully contacted the marginals.

FAMILY DIVERSITY

ORDER TESTUDINES
Family Chelydridae - snapping turtle
Carapace has 3 faintly observable ridges running anteriorly to posteriorly.
Interior of the carapace.

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ORDER TESTUDINES
Family Chelonidae - sea turtle

Green Sea Turtle
It has paddle-like limbs its carapace has 4 costal & non-overlapping scutes.
The head has 2 large pre-frontal scales.

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ORDER TESTUDINES
Family Chelonidae - sea turtle

Hawksbill
It has paddle-like limbs & a tortoise shell pattern on its scutes.
It's head has 4 pre-frontal shields and a narrow, hawklike beak.
Anterior scutes overlap posterior scutes in the carapace & the posterior border is saw-toothed.

ORDER TESTUDINES
Family Kinosternidae - mud or musk turtle
Two different species are shown here. Both have the characteristic small body with a smooth oval shell.
This member of the family has 2 hinges on the plastron for closing it's shell.

ORDER TESTUDINES
Family Emydidae - pond turtle

Painted Turtle
It has a smooth carapace with red bars or crescents on it's marginal scutes.
The plastron may be yellow, unpatterned or intricately marked. Marks are here but have faded.
The head & neck are marked with yellow stripes.

ORDER TESTUDINES
Family Emydidae - shells
The carapace of this box turtle has lost most of the keratinized scutes & shows a depression which marks a healed puncture wound from a predator.
These are the carapaces of 2 young box turtles, note the rapid increase in size visible in the layers of the keratinized scutes.
This is the carapace & plastron of a painted turtle, note the patterning of the marginals & the plastron.

ORDER TESTUDINES
Family Emydidae - box turtle

Western Box Turtle
Box turtles have a high domed carapace. This species has a distinctive pattern of yellow on the scutes.
Box turtles have a single hinge in the plastron that may be patternless or some dark blotches.

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ORDER TESTUDINES
Family Testudinidae

Desert Tortoise
The carapace is high domed with pronounced growth rings in the keratinized scutes.
The legs have thick conical shields (smoothed off in this specimen) & blunt heavy claws.
These herbivores have a strongly serrated jaw to help cut plants. Elongated gular scutes are visible underneath the head. of this male.

ORDER TESTUDINES
Family Testudinidae

Desert Tortoise
Dorsal view of the carapace of a tortoise without the keratin.
Ventral view of the plaston of the tortoise shows the slightly enlarged gular scutes to your left.
Lateral view of the shell of a tortoise. It is high domed & "humped" under each major scute.

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ORDER CROCODYLIA Family Alligatoridae American Alligator	Broad, rounded snout; no bony ridge between eyes.
ORDER CROCODYLIA Family Alligatoridae American Alligator	Close up of alligator's head, with mouth open.

ORDER TESTUDINES Family Chelydridae - snapping turtle	Carapace has 3 faintly observable ridges running anteriorly to posteriorly.	Interior of the carapace.	.
ORDER TESTUDINES Family Chelonidae - sea turtle Green Sea Turtle	It has paddle-like limbs its carapace has 4 costal & non-overlapping scutes.	The head has 2 large pre-frontal scales.	.
ORDER TESTUDINES Family Chelonidae - sea turtle Hawksbill	It has paddle-like limbs & a tortoise shell pattern on its scutes.	It's head has 4 pre-frontal shields and a narrow, hawklike beak.	Anterior scutes overlap posterior scutes in the carapace & the posterior border is saw-toothed.
ORDER TESTUDINES Family Kinosternidae - mud or musk turtle	Two different species are shown here. Both have the characteristic small body with a smooth oval shell.	This member of the family has 2 hinges on the plastron for closing it's shell.
ORDER TESTUDINES Family Emydidae - pond turtle Painted Turtle	It has a smooth carapace with red bars or crescents on it's marginal scutes.	The plastron may be yellow, unpatterned or intricately marked. Marks are here but have faded.	The head & neck are marked with yellow stripes.
ORDER TESTUDINES Family Emydidae - shells	The carapace of this box turtle has lost most of the keratinized scutes & shows a depression which marks a healed puncture wound from a predator.	These are the carapaces of 2 young box turtles, note the rapid increase in size visible in the layers of the keratinized scutes.	This is the carapace & plastron of a painted turtle, note the patterning of the marginals & the plastron.
ORDER TESTUDINES Family Emydidae - box turtle Western Box Turtle	Box turtles have a high domed carapace. This species has a distinctive pattern of yellow on the scutes.	Box turtles have a single hinge in the plastron that may be patternless or some dark blotches.	.
ORDER TESTUDINES Family Testudinidae Desert Tortoise	The carapace is high domed with pronounced growth rings in the keratinized scutes.	The legs have thick conical shields (smoothed off in this specimen) & blunt heavy claws.	These herbivores have a strongly serrated jaw to help cut plants. Elongated gular scutes are visible underneath the head. of this male.
ORDER TESTUDINES Family Testudinidae Desert Tortoise	Dorsal view of the carapace of a tortoise without the keratin.	Ventral view of the plaston of the tortoise shows the slightly enlarged gular scutes to your left.	Lateral view of the shell of a tortoise. It is high domed & "humped" under each major scute.