Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Theme of the Day: "Horns and Shells" Part 2

SHELLS

Today was a good day to come to the Bronx Zoo. Some might ask why ... because of free admission .. DUH! It was a nice sunny day to spend with the family here at the Bronx Zoo. In the morning, we had the chance to get on Dinosaur Safari.

Poor Mr. Triceratops got mauled by a T-Rex.

 
A dinosaur ... with lips.
 Later on in the day, Jean and I were sent on a hunt for animals that had horns or shells. Some of the animals that we came across included this little guy.
 
Fun Facts: 
  •  Turtles have a hard shell that protect them like a shield, this upper shell is called a ‘carapace’.
  •  Turtles also have a lower shell called a ‘plastron’.
  • A turtle's shell is  made up of 50 different bones attached to their spine.
  • Shells have nerves embedded in them and a blood supply as well, so if a turtle's shell is injured, it may bleed and feel pain.
  • Many turtle species (not all) can hide their heads inside their shells when attacked by predators.
  •  Their scutes (the square like things on top of their shells), sometimes called shields, are overlapping pieces of keratin which is the same substance as human fingernail!  .. Gross but cool! 
  • Turtles, unlike snails, cannot trade in their shells for a new one if damaged. 
  • Their shells never fall off and are never too large or too small since it grows with the turtle.
  • Turtles do shed their scutes to make room for larger ones.
  • If the scutes aren't properly shed or they shed too much, then turtles can often develop infection and disease. 
Overall, it was a good day! -D.P

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