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History:
Turtles existed 200 million years ago, at the time of the earliest dinosaurs; these early turtles could not retract their necks. Many of the living families of turtles existed in the Cretaceous period and have undergone very little change since then. On the basis of morphological (body structure) evidence, turtles were thought to be the oldest surviving group of reptiles. However, molecular studies comparing genes in different reptile groups indicate that turtles, along with crocodiles, are the most modern of reptiles.

Life:
Young turtles hatch from eggs. Most species lay their eggs between late spring and late autumn. A turtle may lay as many as seven clutches (groups) of eggs during one breeding season.
All turtles, including sea and freshwater species, lay their eggs on land. Among most species, the female digs a hole in the ground with her back feet when ready to lay her eggs. She lays the eggs in the hole and covers them with soil, sand, or rotting plant matter. The number of eggs laid varies. An African pancake tortoise lays only one egg per clutch, but a sea turtle may lay 200 eggs at a time.
The female turtle walks away after covering her eggs and does not return. The warmth of the sun hatches the eggs. The temperature at which the eggs are incubated also determines the sex of the hatchlings. Newly hatched turtles must dig their way to the surface of the ground, obtain food, and protect themselves, all on their own.
Many animals prey on turtle eggs and newborn turtles. Various birds and mammals flock to beaches and eat baby sea turtles as they crawl toward the water. Fish attack many others as they enter the sea. Skunks, raccoons, and snakes dig up the nests of freshwater turtles and devour the eggs.
Scientists believe turtles live longer than any other backboned animal. Some box turtles and tortoises have lived more than 100 years. Most of a turtle's growth occurs during the animal's first 5 to 10 years. The turtle continues to grow after reaching this age, but at a much slower rate.

Hibernation:
Turtles, being cold-blooded animals, cannot remain active in cold weather. Most freshwater turtles hibernate by burrowing into the warm, muddy bottom of a pond, stream, or other body of water. Land turtles bury themselves in soil or under rotting vegetation.

Food:
Most kinds of turtles eat both animals and plants. The organisms eaten by a turtle vary among the species. A few kinds of turtles, including green turtles and tortoises, feed almost entirely on plants. Certain freshwater species, such as map turtles and soft-shelled turtles, eat chiefly animals.

Physical Description:
A reptile of the order Chelonia, with strong, beaked, toothless jaws and, usually, an armorlike shell. The shell normally consists of bony plates overlaid with horny shields. The upper portion, or carapace, covers the turtle’s back and sides, and the lower portion, or plastron, covers the belly; the two parts are joined at the sides. Exceptions are the rare plateless turtles of New Guinea and the marine leatherback turtle, which is encased in a thick, ossified skin resembling a carapace. When startled, most turtles withdraw their heads straight back into their shells, the neck folding into an S-shaped curve. However, in the side-necked turtles of the Southern Hemisphere, the head moves sideways and tucks next to the shoulder.

Location:
Turtles are found throughout most of the temperate and tropical world and in the open ocean; of the 270 known species, 42% are rare or threatened with extinction. Many turtles and their eggs are valued as food. Edible species include several marine turtles, the green turtle (traditional ingredient of turtle soup), the diamondback terrapin, and the soft-shelled turtles. Catching females when they lay eggs on land has contributed to a serious decline in many species, since it can take 10 to 30 years for some turtles to reach sexual maturity.