CLASS REPTILIA 



543 



The gopher tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus, lives in burrows in 

 dry, sandy areas of the southeastern United States. It is a slow- 

 moving, herbivorous, terrestrial animal. The common Greek 

 tortoise of southern Europe belongs to the genus Testudo. 



The giant tortoises (Fig. 446) are interesting not only because 

 of their great size, but also because they are living representatives 

 of the fauna of past ages. Six species inhabit the Galapagos 

 Islands off the west coast of South America; four species occur 

 in the Aldabra Islands of the 

 Indian Ocean, and four species 

 inhabit the Mauritius-Eodri- 

 guez Group of islands. Some 

 of those captured on the Galap- 

 agos Islands weigh over three 

 hundred pounds and are prob- 

 ably over four hundred years 

 old. These giant tortoises 

 live on cacti, leaves, berries, 

 and coarse grass. They have 

 been persecuted for food and 

 for scientific purposes so per- 

 sistently that extermination in a wild state seems certain within 

 a few years. 



Family Cheloniid^:. — Sea-turtles. — These are the giant 

 water turtles. They inhabit tropical and semitropical seas and 

 come to land only to lay their eggs on sandy beaches. Their 

 limbs are modified as paddles for swimming. The two species 

 of loggerhead turtles belong to the genus Thalassochelys. Some 

 individuals have a carapace four feet in length and weigh five 

 hundred pounds. 



The green turtle, Chelonia mydas, so called because of the 

 green color of its fat, is almost as large as the loggerhead. It 

 is famous as an article of food, and is common in the markets of 

 the large cities of the eastern United States. It feeds largely on 

 aquatic vegetation and probably eats fish, and other animals also. 



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Fig. 446. — A giant tortoise, testudo 

 abingdoni. (From Gadow.) 



