Turtle

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A turtle
A turtle
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A turtle is a type of animal that may live on land or in the water.

Turtles have shells and are the slowest moving reptiles. Most turtles that live in the water have webbed feet like a duck. Tortoises have thick legs like elephants and sea turtles have flippers.

Turtles can see things that are close very well. They cannot see far-away things well.

All turtles need to breathe air. When a turtle breathes, special muscles push the air in and out of the lungs. Turtles are cold-blooded. This means that their temperature goes up and down with the temperature of the water and air arround them. Some turtles can live for up to a year without eating. Turtles drink water often.

All turtles can live for a long time without food. Tortoises eat plants, fruits and flowers. Some turtles eat fish, tadpoles, snails and insects.

In American English, the sort of turtle that lives in freshwater is called a turtle. In British English, however, it is called a tortoise.

The distant ancestors of turtles had ribs, which developed into a shell that still exists on today's turtles.