Turtles have adapted to their environment by evolving differently shaped feet, shells and mouths. Turtles that live in the water often have flattened shells, while those living on land often have rounded shells. Sea turtles take aquatic adaptation even further and have limbs that are reduced to paddles.

They have modified hands and feet that have become flippers. These flippers enable them to swim and dive. The neck of the freshwater turtle is fused to its body by thick connective tissue, an adaptation that reduces drag and increases the turtle’s ability to swim effectively.

Behavioral Adaptations Sea turtles use many cues to migrate the oceans; from mating and foraging grounds offshore, to coastal nesting beaches. Some cues they may use include: current patterns, seasonal changes in ambient light and temperature, and the earth’s magnetic field.

Sea turtles have other adaptations to help them survive. They have long, paddle-like flippers that hatchlings use to propel themselves through the water as quickly as possible. Their back two flippers act as rudders and help the turtles steer. Hatchlings also hang around in the sargassum to keep warm.

Slaughtered for their eggs, meat, skin, and shells, sea turtles suffer from poaching and over-exploitation. Nearly all species of sea turtle are now classified as endangered, with three of the seven existing species being critically endangered.

It can also be a warning for you to slow down and to think more of your actions. But, you have to know that a snake in general may symbolize longevity and changes that are about to happen in your life.

It all starts with a mature female getting pregnant from a male of the same species. Once pregnant, there are three basic ways snakes are born. The first is for an egg to develop inside the mother. Then the egg is deposited, usually in a group, in a specific habitat to hatch.

This vent opens on the bottom of the snake near the tail and leads into a compound structure called the cloaca, which will be discussed later.

The glottis is the opening in the bottom of a snake’s mouth that is kept closed except when inhaling. It is connected to the trachea, or windpipe, which lets the air that is inhaled fill its lungs.

Male turtles and alligators have penises, while most birds and tuataras lack such organs entirely, instead transferring sperm through direct cloacal contact. Snakes and lizards have paired copulatory organs termed hemipenes. In all cases, male reptiles who possess intromittent organs carry them internally.