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Adorable Baby Tortoise Pic Goes Viral: Turtle Vs. Tortoise Differences, Other Surprising Facts You Should Know

By Glenn Hadley
Published on: 10:10 PST, Dec 25, 2016

A baby tortoise featured in a picture might be viewed as cute by a lot of people. However, a lot of baby tortoises featured in the same picture is absolutely adorable.

That type of emotionally-stirring photograph was shared on Reddit Tuesday and did not take very long at all to go viral.

The picture, which was first posted on Reddit by user Wolverine007, shows a large tortoise followed by more than 35 tiny, baby tortoises. With this now-viral picture, there were not very many details posted along with the picture to explain the story behind it. However, the baby tortoises photo alone speaks volumes to the average person who may not know any fun facts about tortoises and their reproductive cycles.

For instance, according to The Tortoise Shop, a single mating session between two tortoises can lead to a maximum of 30 eggs being fertilized. An even more impressive fact is that all of the fertilized eggs do not necessarily need to be laid in the same clutch together. The mother tortoise is actually capable of varying the length of her gestation period based on nesting conditions and environmental factors.

“Tortoises are very particular when it comes to choosing a suitable nest site… They need to seek out a place which receives all day sunshine and has very well drained earth… Once the female is happy with a chosen site, she will begin the long process of digging.”

According to the report, the tortoise digs until a large hole in the shape of a bell is made. The hole has to be deep enough to be approximately 75 percent of the length of her shell before she starts laying the eggs individually within that space. The entire nesting process can last up to four hours from start to finish.

When it comes to these shelled creatures, another question that plagues the minds of many people is, “What is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?” The terms “turtle” and “tortoise” may seem interchangeable since there are so many physical similarities between the two animals. However, they are several key differences that make it easy to distinguish between turtles and tortoises.

While a turtle can be any type of shelled reptile within the Chelonii order, tortoises usually are known as “terrestrial” turtles. A tortoise can be referred to as a type of turtle, but a turtle is not a tortoise. Tortoises are also not able to swim and are herbivorous animals in most cases. According to Mental Floss, there is a way that you can distinguish between a turtle and tortoise just by examining their bodies.

“Look at their feet and shells. Water turtles have flippers or webbed feet with long claws, and their shells are flatter and more streamlined. Tortoises have stubby, elephant-like feet and heavier, domed shells.”

Although a tortoise cannot swim, it is able to hold its breath for a very long time. This is due to the fact that tortoises are very tolerant of carbon dioxide. Before they can crawl back into their shells, a tortoise must completely empty his or her lungs. If you listen closely, you can hear a tortoise exhale deeply when he or she is startled — signaling that they are mere moments away from hiding inside of their shells.

[Featured Image by boyphotos/Shutterstock]

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