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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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T
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Turtle
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INFOTEXT
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1992-09-02
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A turtle is a REPTILE with an armorlike shell
and strong, beaked toothless jaws.
Turtles are found throughout most of the
temperate and tropical world. The land living
species are generally called the TORTOISE,
the name terrapin is generally applied to
large fresh water or brackish water species.
Turtles range in length from a few inches to
over 7ft(11m), many specimens have lived over
fifty years in captivity. Thier shells are
made of bony "plates" which are covered by
large horny scales. Marine or sea turtles
spend most of their lives in warm seas.
They can swim great distances to find food,
and many of them have webbed toes, or flipper
like legs to help them swim well. They eat
water plants, such as seaweed, and some small
sea animals. Turtles often swim under water,
but they come up to the surface for air.
They lay their eggs ashore. They usually bury
them in the sand, or hide them among weeds.
The baby turtles hatch out on their own.
When they have hatched, they dig themselves
out of their nest and they head straight for
the sea. The largest turtle is called the
leatherback turtle. The green turtle is used
for turtle soup and its eggs are eaten in
Asian countries.
The hawksbill turtle is almost extinct.
Subject by: Vanessa Pike