Testudinidae

Tortoises ( ) are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin for "tortoise"). Like other testudines, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like other members of the suborder Cryptodira, they retract their necks and heads directly backward into the shell to protect them.

species of reptile

species of reptile

Centrochelys is a genus of tortoise. It contains one living species, the African spurred tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata), native to the Sahel and adjacent areas. A number of fossil species have been attributed to this genus, but their placement in the genus is considered equivocal. "Centrochelys" atlantica Sal Island, Cape Verde, Pleistocene "Centrochelys" burchardi Tenerife, Canary Islands, Middle Pleistocene carapace length . "Centrochelys" marocana Morocco, North Africa, latest Pliocene-earliest Pleistocene, c. 2.6 mya carapace length ~. “Centrochelys” punica Tunisia, North Africa, Earl

Megalochelys ("great turtle") is an extinct genus of tortoises that lived from the Miocene to Pleistocene. They are noted for their giant size, the largest known for any tortoise, with a maximum carapace length of over 2 m (6.5 ft) in M. atlas. The genus ranged from western India and Pakistan to as far east as Sulawesi and Timor in Indonesia, though the island specimens likely represent distinct species.

Titanochelon is an extinct genus of giant tortoises known from the Early Miocene to the beginning of the Pleistocene in Europe, extending from the Iberian Peninsula to Anatolia, as well as possibly North Africa. Some members of the genus were larger than extant giant tortoises, with a shell length of up to .

Chersina is a genus of tortoises in the family Testudinidae. It contains a single living species, the angulate tortoise. A fossil species, Chersina langebaanwegi, is known from the Early Pliocene of South Africa.

Stylemys (meaning "pillar turtle") is the first fossil genus of dry land tortoise belonging to the order Testudines discovered in the United States. The genus lived in temperate to subtropical areas of North America, Europe, and Asia, based on fossil distribution. The genus was first described in 1851 by Joseph Leidy. The tortoise was common in the prehistoric Badlands, especially Nebraska and South Dakota. The species has also been found in the formations in and around Badlands National Park. Fossil fragments have also been found in the Palm Park Formation of New Mexico.

Hesperotestudo ("Western turtle") is an extinct genus of tortoise native to North and Central America (ranging as far south as Costa Rica) from the Early Miocene to the Late Pleistocene. Species of Hesperotestudo varied widely in size, with a large undescribed specimen from the Late Pleistocene of El Salvador reaching in carapace length, larger than that of extant giant tortoises. Historically considered a subgenus of Geochelone, it is now considered to be distantly related to that genus. Its relationships with other tortoises are uncertain. The exposed areas of the bodies of Hesperotestudo sp

species of reptile