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Morphology of Tortoise | PDF | Skull | Reproductive System
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Morphology of Tortoise

Tortoises have a broad bony shell that covers their head, tail, and four legs. Their skeletal system includes a two-part skull with various bones, separated jaws, flattened ribs attached to the shell, and well-developed forelimbs and elephantine hindlimbs. They lack teeth and instead have horny beaks. Their digestive system contains a two-chambered stomach and rough tongue. Their heart has three chambers - two atria and one ventricle. Their integrated reproductive and excretory systems form a single urogenital system with lobulated kidneys and a large, elastic urinary bladder.

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Fiaz Bin Khaled Pranjal
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109 views8 pages

Morphology of Tortoise

Tortoises have a broad bony shell that covers their head, tail, and four legs. Their skeletal system includes a two-part skull with various bones, separated jaws, flattened ribs attached to the shell, and well-developed forelimbs and elephantine hindlimbs. They lack teeth and instead have horny beaks. Their digestive system contains a two-chambered stomach and rough tongue. Their heart has three chambers - two atria and one ventricle. Their integrated reproductive and excretory systems form a single urogenital system with lobulated kidneys and a large, elastic urinary bladder.

Uploaded by

Fiaz Bin Khaled Pranjal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Morphology of Tortoise:

 Tortoises are unique among vertebrates and all tortoises are well
developed.(Except Malachochersus tornieri)
 All tortoises share unique columnar or elephantine hindlimbs.
 Tortoises have a head,tail & four legs projecting from a broad bony shell.

Figure:Morphology of Tortoise

Skeletal system of tortoise:

Skull:

 2 Part skull (Separate cranium & jaw)


 Bones:Frontal,prefrontal,quadrate,jugal,maxillary,premaxillary,exooccipital,sup
raoccipital,parietal,squamosal bone etc.

Mandible:

 Jaws are seperated from skull.

Ribs:

 Ribs are flattend.


 Ribs are attached to the bony layer of the upper shell.

Vertebral formula:

 Cervical: Eight(8)
 Thoracic: Ten(10)
 Sacral: Two to three(2-3)
 Caudal: More than twelve(>12)

Figure: Skeletal system of tortoise

Limbs:

 Forelimb & hind limb is well developed.


 Hind limb is elephantine shaped.
 Each digit has two or fewer phalanges with four claws.
Digestive system of tortoise:

Teeth:

 Tortoises do not have teeth.


 Horny beaks are present instead of teeth.

Tongue:

 Tongue is pigmented.
 Tongue surface is rough.

Stomach:

 Tortoises have two chambered stomach & “J” shaped stomach.

Figure: Digestive system of Tortoise

Liver:

 Liver has two lobes: Right & left lobes.


 Saddle shaped.

Pancreas:

 Thick triangular shaped.


Spleen:

 Round or oval.

Respiratory system of Tortoise:

Lung:

 Saccular shaped.
 Two lobes: right & left lobes.

Figure: Respiratory system of tortoise


Cardiovascular system of tortoise:

Figure: Cardiovascular system of tortoise

Heart:

 Valentine shaped
 Three chamber: Two atria & one ventricle.
 Right atrium is larger than left atrium.

Urogenital system of tortoise:

 As the reproductive & excretory systems are so integrated in tortoise. Ii is


considered them as a single urogenital system.

Urinary system:

Kidney:

 Metanephric & lobulated.

Urinary bladder:

 Large & highly elastic.


 Cloaca is emptied by primary & accessory urinary bladder.
Male genital system:

Testes:

 Fusiform shaped.
 Located in inguinal region.

Penis:

 Semi erect in shape.


 Located in the ventral floor of cloaca.

Figure: Uro genital system of tortoise

Female genital system:

Ovary:

 Granular in shape.
Uterus:

 Pearl necklace shape.

Nervous system of tortoise:

Brain:

 Extremely small.

Spinal nerve:

 42-48 pairs in number.

Figure : Tortoise brain(Schematic) Figure: Tortoise spinal cord

Farzana Yeasmin Lia

Roll No.:2018/04

Reg.No.:17C1-004

Session:2017-18

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