Turtle Thursday: Did you know?

I don't have time to write much, so here's a pic of Snappy and Tyrannus and an article from my email.

From an email from Turtlesale:

All Turtle Lovers alike understand the importance of providing excellent care to their Turtle. So Turtlesale.com has decided to send out a monthly publication that addresses specific topics related to the care of Turtles. You will find information that will assist you in establishing a habitat, rendering excellent care, providing adequate nutrition, as well as many other helpful topics. Keep your eyes peeled for our newsletter every month. We hope that you will find it useful and informative.

Water Turtle Respiratory System
Oxygen is needed for metabolism, during which harmful carbon dioxide is produced. It is the job of the respiratory system to take in oxygen and dispose of carbon dioxide. Turtles have lungs and must breathe oxygen from the air. Even sea turtles, which are the mostly aquatic reptiles, must surface from time to time to get air. Marine turtles also inflate their lungs to keep themselves afloat when basking. Some turtles, such as soft shell turtles, snapping turtles, and marine turtles, can exchange gases through areas of their skin, cloaca, and throat. The amount of oxygen obtained is slight, but is enough to keep them alive during times of low oxygen consumption (such as hibernation).

Anatomy
Scutes: Are large scale like structures made up of keratin (like fingernails) that cover the shells of turtles. They do have nerve endings, and the turtle can detect something touching its shell. Turtles can regenerate damaged scutes, and on some turtles the have rings are similar to growth rings on trees and can be used to estimate age.

Plastron: The ventral (bottom) portion of a turtle's shell (under the abdomen/chest). It is made up of bony plates and covered with scutes. In some turtles, the bony plates making up the plastron are hinged.

Carapace: The dorsal (top) portion of the turtle shell (over the back). The carapace is also made up of bony plates, that are fused to the ribcage and backbone of the turtle. The seams of the bony plates do not necessarily coincide with the seams between scutes.

Cloaca: Is the opening of the digestive, urinary and reproductive tracts.

Filtration System
This is the heart of your tank, so choose well and don't penny-pinch as this could have serious repercussions later on. The filtration required in a turtle tank is twice that of similar size fish tanks. You need to keep you filter running on for at least 10-14 hours daily. If possible you can time it to run for 2 hrs at a stretch, then stop for 2 hrs and so on. You should always have the filter running after mealtime.

Thank your so much, for taking a brief moment to review this information. A Turtle Lover who takes the time to be informed will definately have a much more rewarding experience.

Considering they appear to be knowledgable about turtles, why is it that they can't ship a turtle properly?