Turtle VS. Tortoise

If you are ever so unlucky to call our tortoise, Hide, a turtle, heaven save you. On my first day of Reptile Room, I made this mistake, and you would have thought I just drop-kicked a puppy. It made me wonder, what is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise? I already examined the differences between alligators and crocodiles, so this couldn't be a difficult project.

Turtle

Turtle
The biggest difference between turtles and tortoises are their favored habitats. Turtles favor the water, rarely ever leaving it, and are built for this life. They have webbed feet that act like fins to propel them in the water as well as long legs and a streamline shell. Turtles that live in the ocean will only ever leave it to lay their eggs on the sand. You may have seen or heard of turtle documentaries that film the laying, hatching, and journey of the baby turtles, often facing many hardships when charging for the safety of the ocean. Turtles that live in cooler climates and call the great ponds and rivers of the United States home are more inclined to leave the water. I know that on my kayaking trips, there have been many a time that I've seen them basking in the sun on a log or rock. During the winter, or oddly cold days, cool weather turtles will burrow under the mud to keep warm and go into a torpor (state of physical and mental inactivity).

Tortoise
Apposed to the turtle, the tortoise lives a dryer life. They spend their life on land and in more desert-like climates. They do not have webbed feet. Their feet are more like tree stumps, thus better equipped for walking around on land, as well as dome shaped shells. They use their strong forelimbs to dig burrows for shelter. If the sun is too intense, they simply go underground. Because of their favored environments, tortoise have a diet consisting of low growing shrubs, cacti, and desert grasses.

Terrapin

Terrapin
Terrapin are the poorly known cousin of the turtle and tortoise. They spend their time on land and in water. They always live near the water, but can make the choice to wander on land for a bit. They live in brackish/swampy water. They are also called diamondbacks due to their highly recognizable shape of shell, which has deep angular rings. They share the webbed feet that turtles bear. Their name is actually derived from the Algonquian word for turtle, so they are not extremely different from their turtle cousins.

Links: http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/turtle-tortoise
http://www.ncaquariums.com/ask-the-aquarium/what-is-the-difference-between-turtles-terrapins-and-tortoises

Tokay Tokay Tokay!

I have always loved geckos. I think they are adorable and amazing pets. When I was looking at pictures of geckos, one gecko stuck out to me. I thought this little guy was the cutest, funniest, and most interesting of them all. Tokay geckos are actually a tad famous. They are very friendly, which makes them an ideal pet. Also, their vibrant colors of blue with orange polka-dots really catch the eye. Male and female Tokay geckos differ in this sense as, like many animals, the males are more brightly colored, while females have more deluded colors. The males also have a more swollen tails due to the existence of hemipenes (two penises). Their skin is velvety to the touch regardless of their appealingly bumpy skin. They can get to be rather large, about 14 inches from head to tail, and are the largest gecko known to man. Their limbs and body are very well defined and developed. Their feet have fine setae on them, which allows them to overhanging surfaces and move at fast speeds. A few of their defense mechanisms include changing colors, having folds of skin that prevent it from casting a shadow, and the ability to unhitch their tails from their bodies. After shedding its tail, the Tokay gecko will regenerate a new one 3 weeks post tail shed.

Natural Location of Tokay Gecko

Tokay geckos prefer a tropical rainforest habitat. They live in the trees and on cliffs from northeast India to the Indo-Australian Archipelago, but can usually be found in our very own homes. Like I said before, they are wonderful pets. They are noisier than most geckos, however. These noises are often mating calls or defense screams. Otherwise, they are very docile creatures. They are insectivores, so their typical household diet is mealworms, cockroaches (in adulthood), crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts.  Because of taste for pests, they are seen as good luck in southeast Asia.
If you wish to purchase them online, they range from $20 to $100. This can be dependent on their color, age, gender, or how slimy the sales person is. Luckily, they are not endangered, so they are easy to come by, thus the low price. I will post some links to sellers of Tokays, but I always suggest that you purchase from a local breeder. You could also attend a Reptile Expo. I happen to know that they have one in Chicago, but they are the best place to buy reptiles. They know what they're doing. For more information to look at local breeders, look at my blog, Reptile Care.

Tokay gecko hatchling

Scientific Name: Gekko Gecko

Links: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactSheets/Tokaygecko.cfm
http://www.backwaterreptiles.com/geckos/tokay-gecko-for-sale.html
http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Reptile-Events-Calendar/