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Hannah DeeHannah Dee

Where do they live?Where do they live?

·· Some tortoises live in Some tortoises live in India and other India and other countries like South countries like South America and Africa. America and Africa.

You can tell that they You can tell that they love warm places!!love warm places!!

What does its shell do?What does its shell do?

··A tortoise’s shell is quite A tortoise’s shell is quite thick, so it helps protect it thick, so it helps protect it when hungry predators are when hungry predators are about. about.

·· The colour of their shell The colour of their shell helps them to become helps them to become camouflaged in the camouflaged in the background.background. ·They can pull their head ·They can pull their head and legs in when they and legs in when they feel endangered.feel endangered.

How big is the biggest tortoise? How big is the biggest tortoise?

·The largest land ·The largest land tortoise is called the tortoise is called the Galapagos (giant Galapagos (giant tortoise.)tortoise.)

·It weighs a staggering ·It weighs a staggering 230 kg or more and 230 kg or more and its shell can be1.2m its shell can be1.2m long.long.

What do they eat?What do they eat?

·Tortoises eat ·Tortoises eat plants, plants, vegetables and vegetables and fruit and the fruit and the word we use for word we use for this is a this is a Herbivore.Herbivore.

Why are they so slow?Why are they so slow?

··They are so slow They are so slow because they have quite because they have quite a fat tummy and a heavy a fat tummy and a heavy shell. (Imagine, the shell. (Imagine, the oldest tortoise, he lived oldest tortoise, he lived up to 152 years, and he up to 152 years, and he had to cope with that had to cope with that heavy shell on his back heavy shell on his back as well!!)as well!!)

HibernationHibernation

·Tortoises, have a 3 months period of hibernation as the ·Tortoises, have a 3 months period of hibernation as the temperature can go down to 5°C.temperature can go down to 5°C.

·They start getting ready for hibernating in early ·They start getting ready for hibernating in early August – late September.August – late September.

·They then hibernate for the next 3 months until the ·They then hibernate for the next 3 months until the

weather warms up.weather warms up.

How can you tell the difference between How can you tell the difference between turtles and tortoises??turtles and tortoises??

·Turtles are the ones ·Turtles are the ones that swim in the that swim in the water and their shell water and their shell is bigger than a is bigger than a tortoises.tortoises.

·Tortoises are the ones ·Tortoises are the ones that stay on land but that stay on land but very rarely they go in very rarely they go in the water.the water.

How do tortoises adapt to their How do tortoises adapt to their environment?environment?

Heavy shell

can slow

them down

They may have

small legs but

they can scurry

around quite fast.

Green body to blend into background

Stretchy neck to pull in when feels endangered