Editing Turtle (section)

{{Short description|Order of reptiles characterized by a shell}}
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{{other uses|Turtle (disambiguation)}}
{{redirect|Chelonian|||Chelonian (disambiguation)}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Turtles
| image = Florida Box Turtle Digon3.jpg
| image_caption = [[Common box turtle]]
| fossil_range = {{fossilrange|Late Jurassic | Present|earliest=Middle Triassic}} Stem-group turtles are from the [[Middle Triassic]]
| taxon = Testudines
| authority = [[Batsch]], 1788<ref name="TTWG 2017">{{Cite book |author=Turtle Taxonomy Working Group |author-link=Turtle Taxonomy Working Group |year=2017 |title=Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status |publisher=Chelonian Research Foundation: Turtle Conservancy |edition=8th |series=Chelonian Research Monographs (no. 1) |url=http://images.turtleconservancy.org/documents/2017/crm-7-checklist-atlas-v8-2017.pdf |journal=Chelonian Research Monographs |volume=7 |pages=10, 24 |doi=10.3854/crm.7.checklist.atlas.v8.2017 |isbn=978-1-5323-5026-9 |access-date=January 20, 2018 |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225035801/http://images.turtleconservancy.org/documents/2017/crm-7-checklist-atlas-v8-2017.pdf |url-status=live |oclc=1124067380 }}</ref>
| range_map = World.distribution.testudines.1.png
| range_map_caption = Blue: sea turtles, black: land turtles
| diversity_link = List of Testudines families
| diversity = 14 living families
| subdivision_ranks = Subgroups
| subdivision = {{ubl|[[Cryptodira]]|[[Pleurodira]]|†[[Paracryptodira]]?}}
| synonyms = * Chelonii <small>Latreille 1800</small>
* Chelonia <small>Ross and Macartney 1802</small>
| synonyms_ref = <ref name="Dubois2010"/>
}}

'''Turtles''' are [[reptiles]] of the [[order (biology)|order]] '''Testudines''', characterized by a special [[turtle shell|shell]] developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the [[Pleurodira]] (side necked turtles) and [[Cryptodira]] (hidden necked turtles), which differ in the way the head retracts. There are 360 living and recently extinct [[species]] of turtles, including land-dwelling [[tortoise]]s and freshwater [[terrapin]]s. They are found on most continents, some islands and, in the case of [[sea turtle]]s, much of the ocean. Like other [[Amniote|amniotes]] (reptiles, [[bird]]s, and [[mammal]]s) they breathe air and do not lay eggs underwater, although many species live in or around water. 

Turtle shells are made mostly of [[bone]]; the upper part is the domed [[Turtle shell#Carapace|carapace]], while the underside is the flatter [[plastron]] or belly-plate. Its outer surface is covered in [[scale (anatomy)|scales]] made of [[keratin]], the material of hair, horns, and claws. The carapace bones develop from ribs that grow sideways and develop into broad flat plates that join up to cover the body. Turtles are [[ectotherm]]s or "cold-blooded", meaning that their internal temperature varies with their direct environment. They are generally opportunistic [[omnivore]]s and mainly feed on plants and animals with limited movements. Many turtles [[animal migration|migrate]] short distances seasonally. Sea turtles are the only reptiles that migrate long distances to lay [[Egg#Amniote eggs and embryos|their eggs]] on a favored beach.

Turtles have [[Cultural depictions of turtles|appeared in myths and folktales]] around the world. Some terrestrial and freshwater species are widely kept as pets. Turtles have been [[turtling (hunting)|hunted]] for their meat, for use in traditional medicine, and for their shells. Sea turtles are often killed accidentally as [[bycatch]] in fishing nets. Turtle habitats around the world are being destroyed. As a result of these pressures, many species are extinct or threatened with extinction.