Indian star tortoise, Sri Lanka
© Robin Chittenden/Minden Picture
Looking for a shell-ter. World Turtle Day
Here is a real star! The Indian star tortoise walks into today's image with exemplary confidence. And rightly so. Today is World Turtle Day! The annual observance has been celebrated since 2000, thanks to American Tortoise Rescue. What's the difference between tortoises and turtles? Tortoises are a family of turtles that exclusively live on land.
Today, we know of more than 350 species of these reptiles, living on all continents except Antarctica. Did you know that these animals originated around 200 million years ago, which means that they are one of the oldest reptile groups on the planet? Or that some species can live up to 150 years? So, make sure you respect and protect these shelled creatures—some of them are older than our grandparents.
A Julia butterfly on the nose of a yellow-spotted river turtle, Amazon Region, Ecuador
Marine iguanas, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
A green sea turtle swims in the Pacific Ocean near the French overseas territory of New Caledonia
Young black caiman, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru
Green sea turtle, San Diego, California
Volcán Alcedo giant tortoises, Isabela Island, Galápagos, Ecuador
West Indian manatee mother and baby, Three Sisters Spring, Crystal River, Florida
Hawksbill sea turtle swimming near Akajima, Okinawa, Japan
