1.
Turtle shell
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It is constructed of modified bony elements such as the ribs, parts of the pelvis and other bones found in most reptiles. The bone of the consists of both skeletal and dermal bone, showing that the complete enclosure of the shell probably evolved by including dermal armor into the rib cage. Hence understanding the structure of the shell in living species gives us comparable material with fossils, the turtle shell is made up of numerous bony elements, generally named after similar bones in other vertebrates, and a series of keratinous scutes which are also uniquely named. Some of those bones that make the top of the shell, carapace, the ventral surface is called the plastron. These are joined by a called the bridge. The actual suture between the bridge and the plastron is called the anterior bridge strut, in Pleurodires the posterior pelvis is also part of the carapace, fully fused with it. This is not the case in Cryptodires which have a floating pelvis, the anterior bridge strut and posterior bridge strut are part of the plastron, on the carapace are the sutures into which they insert, known as the Bridge carapace suture. The bones of the shell are named for standard vertebrate elements, as such the carapace is made up of 8 pleurals on each side, these are a combination of the ribs and fused dermal bone. Outside of this at the anterior of the shell is the single nuchal bone, at the posterior of the shell is the pygal bone and in front of this nested behind the eighth pleurals is the suprapygal. Between each of the pleurals are a series of neural bones, beneath the neural bone is the Neural arch which forms the upper half of the encasement for the spinal chord. Below this the rest of the vertebral column, some species of turtles have some extra bones called mesoplastra, which are located between the carapace and plastron in the bridge area. They are present in most Pelomedusid turtles, the skeletal elements of the plastron are also largely in pairs. Anteriorly there are two epiplastra, with the hyoplastra behind them and these make up the front half of the plastron and the hyoplastron contains the anterior bridge strut. The posterior half is made up of two hypoplastra and the rear is a pair of xiphiplastra, overlying the boney elements are a series of scutes, which are made of keratin and are a lot like horn or nail tissue. In the center of the carapace are 5 vertebral scutes and out from these are 4 pairs of costal scutes, around the edge of the shell are 12 pairs of marginal scutes. All these scutes are aligned so that for the most part the sutures between the bones are in the middle of the scutes above. At the anterior of the shell there may be a cervical scute however the presence or absence of this scute is highly variable, on the plastron there are two gular scutes at the front, followed by a pair of pectorals, then abdominals, femorals and lastly anals. A particular variation is the Pleurodiran turtles have an intergular scute between the gulars at the front, giving them a total of 13 plastral scutes, compared to the 12 in all Cryptodiran turtles
2.
Micronesia
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Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a cultural history with two other island regions, Polynesia to the east and Melanesia to the south. The region has a marine climate, and is part of the Oceania ecozone. There are four main archipelagos along with numerous outlying islands, Micronesia is divided politically among several sovereign countries. One of these is the Federated States of Micronesia, which is often called Micronesia for short and is not to be confused with the overall region, Micronesia began to be settled several millennia ago, although there are competing theories about the origin and arrival of the first settlers. The earliest known contact with Europeans occurred in 1521, when Ferdinand Magellan reached the Marianas, the coinage of the term Micronesia is usually attributed to Jules Dumont dUrvilles usage in 1832, however Domeny de Rienzi had used the term a year previously. Micronesia is a region that includes approximately 2100 islands, with a land area of 2,700 km2, the largest of which is Guam. The total ocean area within the perimeter of the islands is 7,400,000 km2, there are four main island groups in Micronesia, the Caroline Islands the Gilbert Islands the Mariana Islands the Marshall Islands Plus the island country of Nauru. The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago consisting of about 500 small coral islands, north of New Guinea, the Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands, arranged in an approximate north-to-south line. In a geographical sense, the equator serves as the line between the northern Gilbert Islands and the southern Gilbert Islands. The Republic of Kiribati contains all of the Gilberts, as well as the island of Tarawa, the Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of fifteen volcanic mountains. Guam and the Northern Marianas are two of the five remaining U. S, the Marshall Islands is an island country, located north of Nauru and Kiribati, east of the Federated States of Micronesia, and south of the U. S. territory of Wake Island. The country consists of 29 low-lying atolls and 5 isolated islands, comprising 1,156 individual islands, the atolls and islands form two groups, the Ratak Chain and the Ralik Chain. All the islands in the chain are part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, having few natural resources, the islands wealth is based on a service economy, as well as some fishing and agriculture. Of the 29 atolls,24 of them are inhabited, Bikini Atoll is an atoll in the Marshall Islands. There are 23 islands in the Bikini Atoll, the islands of Bokonijien, Aerokojlol, and Nam were vaporized during nuclear tests that occurred there. The islands are composed of low coral limestone аnd sand, the average elevation is only about 2.1 metres above low tide level. Nauru is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean,42 km south of the Equator, listed as the worlds smallest republic
3.
Singing bird box
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A singing bird box is a box, usually rectangular-shaped, which contains within a miniature automaton singing bird concealed below an oval lid and activated by means of an operating lever. Its origins are found in the city of Geneva and its invention in 1784/85 is attributed to Pierre Jaquet-Droz, the French term tabatière has also come to be used for any small decorative box resembling a snuffbox in form but not necessarily any longer used to contain snuff. This object is made up of two parts, habitually crafted by different makers. The outer casing is a rectangular box variable in size, although with a measurement of approximately 100 ×65 ×40 mm, made of base metal, precious metal. It has a hole, some 45 x 35 mm in its top. At the end of the performance the automaton falls back into the box, while the bird is calling, a decorative pierced grille appears with a bird-shaped hole cut into it through which the performer rises and falls. While singing, a piece of grille jumps up to cover the hole through which the automaton has passed. All bird box movements have a motor which must be wound up. In some movements the flapping of the wings and its ability to turn its head are also cam-controlled. The final cam determines the point at which the ends, the bird folds away, the lid drops. The birds beak movements are connected to the cam controlling the air supply to the whistle, in this way the sound. The whistle consists of an organ pipe containing a close-fitting piston which can be moved up. The winged performer varies in size but 30 mm from beak to tail is common, the bird itself consists of a brass frame to which two half-body shells are attached, each half-shell having one wing pivoted to its side. As for the movement, this is a device located between two brass plates. Two mechanisms have been used during the more than two centuries of singing bird boxes, each with its own characteristics, The fusee-driven movement, besides sharing the same nationality, the major names in the early history of the singing bird box are all united by professional links. To Pierre Jaquet-Droz, regarded as one of the most celebrated automata maker of all times, is credited the invention of the boîte à oiseau chanteur and it is possible that this was mainly the work of Leschot, who became a partner in the Jaquet-Droz business in 1782. Whoever it was, it is clear that by 1785 snuffbox or tabatière-sized movements were known in France, Germany, in November 1790, Pierre Jaquet-Droz died and this logically ended the partnership with Leschot. However, Leschot continued to produce singing birds in Geneva under the old name of Jaquet-Droz & Leschot – London
4.
Tortoise
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Tortoises are a family, Testudinidae, of land-dwelling reptiles in the order Testudines. Tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell, the top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The carapace is fused to both the vertebrae and ribcage, and tortoises are unique among vertebrates in that the pectoral, Tortoises can vary in size from a few centimeters to two meters. They are usually diurnal animals with tendencies to be depending on the ambient temperatures. Tortoises are the longest living animal in the world, although the longest living species of tortoise is a matter of debate. Galapagos tortoises are noted to live over 150 years, but an Aldabra giant tortoise named Adwaita may having been the longest living at an estimated 255 years. It is important to note that tortoises are not the longest living animal, period, with bowhead whales reaching over 200 years, and the ocean quahog clam reaching 500 years old. Differences exist in usage of the common terms turtle, tortoise and these terms are common names and do not reflect precise biological or taxonomic distinctions. In America, for example, the members of the genus Terrapene dwell on land, in Britain, terrapin is used to refer to a larger group of semiaquatic turtles than the restricted meaning in America. Australian usage is different from both American and British usage, land tortoises are not native to Australia, yet traditionally freshwater turtles have been called tortoises in Australia. Female tortoises dig nesting burrows in which lay from one to 30 eggs. Egg-laying typically occurs at night, after which the mother covers her clutch with sand, soil. The eggs are unattended, and depending on the species. The size of the egg depends on the size of the mother, the plastron of a female tortoise often has a noticeable V-shaped notch below the tail which facilitates passing the eggs. Upon completion of the period, a fully formed hatchling uses an egg tooth to break out of its shell. It digs to the surface of the nest and begins a life of survival on its own and they are hatched with an embryonic egg sac which serves as a source of nutrition for the first three to seven days until they have the strength and mobility to find food. Juvenile tortoises often require a different balance of nutrients than adults, for example, the young of a strictly herbivorous species commonly will consume worms or insect larvae for additional protein. Moreover, some tortoises grow more than one ring per season, Tortoises generally have one of the longest lifespans of any animal, and some individuals are known to have lived longer than 150 years
5.
Turtle
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Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs and acting as a shield. Turtle may refer to the order as a whole or to fresh-water, the order Testudines includes both extant and extinct species. The earliest known members of this date from 157 million years ago, making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups. Of the 327 known species alive today, some are highly endangered, turtles are ectotherms—animals commonly called cold-blooded—meaning that their internal temperature varies according to the ambient environment. However, because of their metabolic rate, leatherback sea turtles have a body temperature that is noticeably higher than that of the surrounding water. Turtles are classified as amniotes, along with reptiles, birds. Like other amniotes, turtles breathe air and do not lay eggs underwater, Chelonia is based on the Greek word χελώνη chelone tortoise, turtle, also denoting armor or interlocking shields, testudines, on the other hand, is based on the Latin word testudo tortoise. Turtle may either refer to the order as a whole, or to particular turtles that make up a form taxon that is not monophyletic, the meaning of the word turtle differs from region to region. In North America, all chelonians are commonly called turtles, including terrapins, in Great Britain, the word turtle is used for sea-dwelling species, but not for tortoises. The term tortoise usually refers to any land-dwelling, non-swimming chelonian, most land-dwelling chelonians are in the Testudinidae family, only one of the 14 extant turtle families. Terrapin is used to describe several species of small, edible, hard-shell turtles, typically found in brackish waters. Some languages do not have this distinction, as all of these are referred to by the same name, for example, in Spanish, the word tortuga is used for turtles, tortoises, and terrapins. A sea-dwelling turtle is tortuga marina, a freshwater species tortuga de río, the largest living chelonian is the leatherback sea turtle, which reaches a shell length of 200 cm and can reach a weight of over 900 kg. Freshwater turtles are generally smaller, but with the largest species, the Asian softshell turtle Pelochelys cantorii, a few individuals have been reported up to 200 cm. This dwarfs even the better-known alligator snapping turtle, the largest chelonian in North America and they became extinct at the same time as the appearance of man, and it is assumed humans hunted them for food. The only surviving giant tortoises are on the Seychelles and Galápagos Islands and can grow to over 130 cm in length, the largest ever chelonian was Archelon ischyros, a Late Cretaceous sea turtle known to have been up to 4.6 m long. The smallest turtle is the speckled padloper tortoise of South Africa and it measures no more than 8 cm in length and weighs about 140 g. Two other species of turtles are the American mud turtles
6.
Hawksbill sea turtle
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The hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the extant species in the genus Eretmochelys. The species has a distribution, with Atlantic and Indo-Pacific subspecies—E. I. imbricata and E. i. bissa, respectively, the hawksbills appearance is similar to that of other marine turtles. In general, it has a body shape, a protective carapace. E. imbricata is easily distinguished from other sea turtles by its sharp, curving beak with prominent tomium, Hawksbill shells slightly change colors, depending on water temperature. While this turtle lives part of its life in the ocean, it spends more time in shallow lagoons. The World Conservation Union, primarily as a result of Human fishing practices, classifies E. imbricata as critically endangered, Hawksbill shells were the primary source of tortoiseshell material used for decorative purposes. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species outlaws the capture and trade of sea turtles. Adult hawksbill sea turtles grow to 1 m in length. The heaviest hawksbill ever captured weighed 127 kg, the turtles shell, or carapace, has an amber background patterned with an irregular combination of light and dark streaks, with predominantly black and mottled-brown colors radiating to the sides. Several characteristics of the sea turtle distinguish it from other sea turtle species. Its elongated, tapered head ends in a mouth. The hawksbills fore limbs have two claws on each flipper. One of the more easily distinguished characteristics is the pattern of thick scutes that make up its carapace. The turtles carapace has been known to reach almost 1 m in length, the hawksbill appears to frequently employ its sturdy shell to insert its body into tight spaces in reefs. Crawling with an alternating gait, hawksbill tracks left in the sand are asymmetrical, in contrast, the green sea turtle and the leatherback turtle have a more symmetrical gait. Due to its consumption of venomous cnidarians, hawksbill sea turtle flesh can become toxic, the hawksbill sea turtle has been shown to be biofluorescent and is the first reptile recorded with this characteristic
7.
Scute
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A scute or scutum is a bony external plate or scale overlaid with horn, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodilians, and the feet of birds. The term is used to describe the anterior portion of the mesonotum in insects. Scutes are similar to scales and serve the same function, unlike the scales of lizards and snakes, which are formed from the epidermis, scutes are formed in the lower vascular layer of the skin and the epidermal element is only the top surface. Forming in the dermis, the scutes produce a horny outer layer that is superficially similar to that of scales. Scutes will usually not overlap as snake scales, the outer keratin layer is shed piecemeal, and not in one continuous layer of skin as seen in snakes or lizards. The dermal base may contain bone and produce dermal armour, scutes with a bony base are properly called osteoderms. Dermal scutes are found in the feet of birds and tails of some mammals. The turtles shell is covered by scutes formed mostly of keratin and they are built similarly to horn, beak, or nail in other species. The tarsometatarsus and toes of most birds are covered in two types of scales, large scutes run along the dorsal side of the tarsometatarsus and toes, whereas smaller scutellae run along the sides. Unblocking the feather suppression program results in growing in place of scales along the tarsometatarsus. The bottoms of feet are covered in small, keeled scale-like structures known as reticulae. Evolutionary developmental studies on these structures have revealed that they are composed entirely of alpha keratin. In some species of Opiliones, fused abdominal segments are referred to as a scutum, osteoderms Scale Snake scales Keratin Skin Skeleton
8.
Tortoiseshell cat
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Tortoiseshell is a cat coat coloring named for its similarity to tortoiseshell material. Tortoiseshell cats are almost exclusively female, male tortoiseshells are rare and are usually sterile. Also called torties for short, tortoiseshell cats combine two colors other than white, either mixed or in larger patches. The colors are described as red and black, but the red patches can instead be orange, yellow, or cream. Tortoiseshell cats with the pattern as one of their colors are sometimes referred to as a torbie. Tortoiseshell is typically reserved for particolored cats with relatively small or no white markings and those that are largely white with tortoiseshell patches are described as tricolor, tortoiseshell-and-white, or calico. Tortoiseshell markings appear in different breeds, as well as in non-purebred domestic cats. This pattern is preferred in the Japanese Bobtail breed. Tortoiseshell cats have particolored coats with patches of various shades of red and black, a tortoiseshell can also have splotches of orange or gold, but these colors are rarer on the breed. The size of the patches can vary from a fine speckled pattern to large areas of color, typically, the more white a cat has, the more solid the patches of color. Dilution genes may modify the coloring, lightening the fur to a mix of cream and blue, lilac or fawn, occasionally tabby patterns of black and brown and red colors are also seen. These patched tabbies are often called a tortie-tabby, torbie or, with white areas. Not uncommonly there will be a face pattern with black on one side of the face and orange on the other. Tortoiseshell coloring can also be expressed in the point pattern, referred to as a tortie point, tortoiseshell and calico coats result from an interaction between genetic and developmental factors. The primary gene for color for the colors brown, chocolate, cinnamon. The tortoiseshell and calico cats are indicated, Oo to indicate they are heterozygous on the O gene, the and genes can be further modified by a recessive dilute gene which softens the colors. Orange becomes cream, black gray, etc. Various terms are used for colors, for example, gray is also called blue
9.
Nymphalis
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Nymphalis, commonly known as the tortoiseshells or anglewing butterflies, is a genus of brush-footed butterflies. The genera Aglais, Inachis, Polygonia and Kaniska, were included as subgenera of Nymphalis. For other butterflies named tortoiseshells, see the genus, Aglais, the name Nymphalis, established by Jan Krzysztof Kluk in 1780, is the oldest name among the generic names for a relatively small group of butterflies collectively known as anglewing butterflies. In zoological nomenclature, the oldest name has a priority over other names, the collective name anglewing butterflies is derived from a Latinised term Papiliones angulati. This name was used for the first time by Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775-1776. The anglewing butterflies as a group are characterized by a silhouette and by the colouration. This signature mark is an important taxonomic characteristic as well as a significant evolutionary adaptation, during winter months, in latitudes with snow cover, all members of this group hibernate as adult butterflies. During hibernation, hidden in various shelters, the butterflies are dormant, the camouflage provided by crypsis is obviously advantageous to hibernating butterflies. The potential predators will have difficulties in seeing the dormant butterflies, with their wings closed, exposing only the ventral cryptically coloured underside, they blend in with their surroundings. Today, the butterflies are found only in the Northern Hemisphere. Since Carl Linnaeus described the first members of group in 1758, it is now clear. The sister group of Nymphalis is Vanessa
