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Turtles

22 15:56:21

Question
Can you explain me this in a simple way: what's the difference between the Cheloniidae family (6) and one in the family Dermochelyidae?
Do turtles have teeth?

Answer
Hi Candy,

I'm not really a sea turtle expert per se, so there are probably more definite taxonomical differences, but from my basic knowledge, leatherback turtles (Dermochelyidae)  have spcific physiological differences that allow them to have a wider northern/southern range than most sea turtles (Cheloniidae)--that is, they can withstand colder temperatures.  The shell is different, too, of course.

Turtles do not have teeth.  There is a hard, sharp edge to the mouth/beak that allow them to bite off pieces of food, but they can't chew.  Herbivorous species of tortoises have long digestive systems and digest their food through hindgut fermentation, similar to ruminants.  Essentially, the food travels through very slowly, allowing them to break down the cellular walls and extract maximum nutrition.  

Hope this helps.  If you need more information on the leatherback sea turtle, let me know specifically what you need and I'll see what I can find out for you.  If you need detailed, scientific information, though, you'll probably have to consult a scholarly journal.