“Nature is slow, but sure; she works no faster than need be; she is the tortoise that wins the race by her perseverance.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

A tortoise is a land-dwelling reptile found in all continents except Australia and Antarctica. The shell, which protects their body, is made of two pieces, the carapace (top part) and the plastron (bottom part), which are fused together on each side to form a bridge. Scutes are keratin scales which are found over the shell. The carapace indicates the age of the tortoise by the number of concentric rings which is similar to the cross-section of a tree. These reptiles can retract their head, their four limbs and tail into the shell for protection. They have a beak, but no teeth and no external ears. Tortoises are diurnal and generally shy creatures. Most land based tortoises are herbivores and feed primarily on grazing grasses, weeds, leafy greens, flowers and certain fruits. An interesting fact is that they empty their lungs before going back into their shell and can last for some time without coming out for oxygen. This behaviour is displayed when they sense a threat. Loss of habitat, pet trade, pollution and climate change are the biggest threats to tortoises globally. More than half of the tortoise species are at risk of extinction, making them one of the most threatened groups.

A tryst with nature #tortoise