#cheloniology

[sleepy-bebby]

Sleeping sea turtle.

🔊 Sound on for bubbles 🫧

[great-and-small]

What’s your favorite turtle and also favorite parasite?

How could I ever choose?! I can’t pick absolute favorites but I can definitely choose some top contenders

Turtles:

- Alligator snapping turtle (I deeply love any type of snapper but these guys are just totally something else- once you work with one you’re hooked forever)

- Gopher tortoise (keystone species with talk show host level charisma)

- Bog Turtles (the cutest animal on earth??)

- Radiated tortoise (I love all the Madagascar tortoise species but these take my breath away)

- Eastern box turtle (if these dudes don’t fill you with childlike wonder I don’t get you)

- Diamondback terrapin (makes me feel how I assume old white guys feel when they see a fancy muscle car. Just a great looking kickass turtle here)

Parasites:

- Screwworms (parasitic larvae of a fly but terrifying and fascinating- these worms are the reason we have sterile insect technique)

- Toxoplasma gondii (best parasite to go down the rabbit hole researching; this protozoan is running the world)

- Parasitic wasps are morbidly fascinating to me so I’ll also say Jewel wasp (can perform brain surgery on the exact part of a cockroach’s brain that would allow it to escape)

- Any type of pentastomid (mysterious and cool, will never forget finding a dead snake filled to the brim with them)

- Guinea worm (interesting worm with cool history and life cycle- former US president Jimmy Carter once vowed to eradicate this parasite in his lifetime)

[corporealanomaly]

Here is day 13-16: insect/mycology, hydra/melittology (yes, that is a seven-headed honeybee),ghost/cheloniology, and dryad/saurology 

[fumblebeefae]

THE ABC’S OF ZOOLOGY: The Branches under zoology.

Zoology is a specific branch of biology, that studies the animal kingdom,  derived from the Ancient Greek zōion meaning "animal" and logos, meaning "study", translating to “the study of animals”. 

Under zoology there are many branches (specific fields of study) that researchers focus or specialise in. Think of it like the branches of a tree that split or as an umbrella. 

Just as biology includes such fields like microbiology, botany, genetics, biochemistry and anatomy, zoology also can be further broken down into specific fields such as; ecology, ornithology, entomology and so on.

Scientists love labeling and breaking things down, hence why there is so many different branches or sub-disciplines. Here are some examples of the branches under zoology, and their definitions.

Taxonomic Sub-Disciplines   

ARACHNOLOGY: 

Derived from the Ancient Greek arachnē meaning "spider" and logia, meaning "study of", translating to “the study of spiders”.

The scientific study of spiders and other arachnids such as harvestmen, scorpions and pseudoscorpions. Arachnology can be further divided into specific sub-disciplines such as:  

acarology – the study of ticks and mites

araneology – the study of spiders

scorpiology – the study of scorpions

ENTOMOLOGY:

Derived from the Ancient Greek entomon meaning "insect" and logia, meaning "study of", translating to “the study of insects”.

The scientific study of species in the class insecta or insects. Entomology can be further divided into specific sub-disciplines such as, but not limited to: 

Coleopterology - the study of beetles

Dipterology - the study of flies

Odonatology - the study of dragonflies and damselflies

Lepidopterology - the study of moths and butterflies

Melittology (or Apiology) - the study of bees

HERPETOLOGY:

Derived from the Ancient Greek herpein meaning "to creep" and logia, meaning "study of", translating to “the study of those that creep”.

The scientific study of poililothermic ectothermic tetrapods (herpetofauna) or amphibians and reptiles. Herpetology can be further divided into specific sub-disciplines such as, but not limited to:

Batrachology - the study of amphibians 

Ophiology (or Ophidiology) - the study of snakes

Saurology- the study of lizards

Cheloniology (or testudinology) - the study of turtles and tortoises

ICHTHYOLOGY: 

Derived from the Ancient Greek ikhthys meaning "fish" and logia, meaning "study of", translating to “the study of fish”.

The scientific study of fish, including the bony fish (Osteichthyes), the cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes), and the jawless fish (Agnatha).Ichthyology can be further divided into specific sub-disciplines such as, but not limited to: 

Osteichthyology - Study of bony fish

Chondrichthology - Study of cartilaginous fish

Elamobranchology - Study of sharks 

MAMMALOGY: 

Derived from the Late Latin mammalis meaning "of the breast" and the Ancient Greek logia, meaning "study of". 

The scientific study of mammals, Also known as "mastology," "theriology," and "therology”. Mammalogy can be further divided into specific sub-disciplines such as, but not limited to:

Primatology - Study of primates

Cetology - Study of cetaceans

Cynology - The study of canines

Chiropterology - The study of bats

ORNITHOLOGY:

Derived from the Ancient Greek ornis meaning "birds" and logia, meaning "study of", translating to “the study of birds”.

The scientific study of the aves, a class of vertebrates which comprises the birds.

Other Sub-Disciplines

ECOLOGY:

Derived from the Ancient Greek oîkos meaning “environment" and logia, meaning "study of", translating to “the study of the environment”.  

The scientific study of the interactions among organisms and their abiotic environment. Ecology includes the study of such things as, but not limited to: 

Biodiversity and population distribution

Biomass

interactions such as competition or cooperation between species

relationship between flora and fauna (plants and animals).

Ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling, water cycle, niche construction, pedogenesis

ETHOLOGY:

Derived from the Ancient Greek ethos meaning “character" and logia, meaning "study of", translating to “the study of animal character”. 

The scientific study of animal behaviour, also called behaviourism or animal behaviourism. Ethologists focus on behaviour under natural conditions as an evolutionary adaptive trait, by measuring responses to stimuli or behavioural responses both observed in the wild and under lab conditions. Ethology can be further divided into specific sub-disciplines such as, but not limited to:

Reproductive zoologist

Neurobiologist / cognitive zoologist

Comparative psychology

MORPHOLOGY: 

Derived from the Ancient Greek morphé meaning “form" and logia, meaning "study of", translating to “the study of form”. 

The scientific study of the form and structure of an animal and the specific structural features of that species such as external appearance or morpology (colour, shape, pattern, ect.) and internal morphology (anatomy). Morphology can be further divided into specific sub-disciplines such as, but not limited to:

Morphometry: Study of the quantitative analysis of shape and size

Neuromorphology: Study of the nervous system 

Phenetics: (or taximetrics) Study of classifying organisms based on overall similarity in morphology

PHYLOGENETICS:  

Derived from the Ancient Greek phylon meaning “clan, tribe" and genetikós meaning “origin, source, birth”

The scientific study of the evolutionary relationship and history of groups or individual species / populations by means of using methods such as DNA sequencing, morphology or other observable heritable traits. The result of these form phylogenetic trees, diagrams that show the history and relationship of species (like the image below). 

[sabine79]

Only one more day of these. Need to come up with something for November.

29-Cheloniology

30-Taphology

[bukbot]

Turtles are classified as amniotes, along with other reptiles, birds, and mammals. Like other amniotes, turtles breathe air and do not lay eggs underwater, although many species live in or around water. The study of turtles is called cheloniology, after the Greek word for turtle. It is also sometimes called testudinology, after the Latin name for turtles.

The water in the Winter Market Saturday and MiraBay Markets for putting chickens on #reclaimedwood #ilovethis #riseandshine #mothercluckers #funkychicken #happychicken #colorfulchicken #handmade #buyhandmade #shopsmall #shoplocal #buyme #funnysign #kitchensign #cutesign #rusticdecor #homedecor #handpaintedsign #fortworth #signsale #paypal #musthave #riseandshinemothercluckers #cockadoodledoo #hens #cluckers at Fort Worth, Texas.

[itslucifersam]

Turtles are diapsids of the order Testudines (or Chelonii) characterized by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs and acting as a shield. "Turtle" may refer to the order as a whole (American English) or to fresh-water and sea-dwelling testudines (British English).The order Testudines includes both extant (living) and extinct species. The earliest known members of this group date from 220 million years ago, making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups and a more ancient group than snakes or crocodilians. Of the 356 known species alive today, some are highly endangered. Turtles are ectotherms—animals commonly called cold-blooded—meaning that their internal temperature varies according to the ambient environment. However, because of their high metabolic rate, leatherback sea turtles have a body temperature that is noticeably higher than that of the surrounding water. Turtles are classified as amniotes, along with other reptiles, birds, and mammals. Like other amniotes, turtles breathe air and do not lay eggs underwater, although many species live in or around water. The study of turtles is called cheloniology, after the Greek word for turtle. It is also sometimes called testudinology, after the Latin name for turtles.

[cuteanimalvideothings-blog]

Date: 2018-03-24 06:08:11

Beautyful Creature | Satisfying VIDEO | 2018 | Cuteness Metazoans | Epic Compilations | Satisfying Metazoon VIDEO fish on Beach Cuteness Neonatal Cheloniology Beautyful Snakey Snakey...

[great-and-small]

how do you feel about aquatic turtles as pets vs tortoises? i don't know anything about herp care but i like hearing about them, are novice owners more likely to meet the needs of species that isn't waterfaring? it feels like as soon as a tank with water gets involved the potential for neglect skyrockets

Such a good question and honestly one that I think about a lot. I think in general my opinion of chelonians (turtles and tortoises) in captivity is roughly equivalent to my opinion on reptiles in general being kept as pets. That is to say, a handful make great pets, many of them can be well cared for by a well-educated and experienced keeper, but the majority of species are not ideal as pets. Although I do feel some tortoises are a little easier to manage than aquatic turtles, they also present their own unique challenges that have to be considered. I also have some overlapping concerns regarding the keeping of both tortoises and turtles as pets.

For both turtles and tortoises I have three primary concerns.

Firstly, conservation of these animals has reached a critical state, and the pet trade absolutely contributes to this for many species. I am publishing research on a critically endangered species of tortoise and almost all of the videos about them on YouTube are “unboxing” videos by private keepers who acquired them to keep as pets. Ideally anyone seeking a turtle would ensure the animal was captive bred by an ethical breeder (ideally one that works with a biologist/herpetologist). Capturing a wild invasive turtle is another way to ethically procure a turtle, for example RES are considered extremely invasive in many places.

Second, you guessed it- the husbandry! Although many turtle species do really well in human care I personally wouldn’t call any of them a beginner species. The aquatic species need either a carefully managed 50-100 gallon (at least) indoor tank or an outdoor enclosure that will protect them from predators and prevent escape. That’s not even touching on their often complicated dietary needs. Smaller tortoises are probably a little less high maintenance when it comes to enclosure management but many do best in an outdoor environment, which cannot be provided in all climates. In my opinion the larger species like sulcatas and aldabras will need an enclosure roughly equivalent to what you would provide a couple of goats, and the goats are far less likely to tunnel their way out of the yard! Like many other reptile species, there is a lot of room for error in the care of turtles. The majority of health issues that we see in these guys in the veterinary field are related to issues with their husbandry. It requires a diligent keeper to keep them healthy.

My third concern with keeping these species as pets is their lifespan. Many, many species of tortoises that you can buy on a whim at a pet store have the potential to live more than a hundred years. That is an enormous commitment for anyone to make and it should not be taken lightly. You might not be thinking of it when buying an adorable tennis ball sized baby tortoise but who is going to take in and provide dedicated care for a 200lb adult tortoise in 50 years when you’ve died? Even the sliders can easily live to be 40 years old. It sounds morbid but I think anyone with a long lived species like this has the responsibility to make arrangements should their animal outlive them.

This doesn’t mean that I feel nobody should ever have aquatic turtles as pets. If I ever have the means I would love to have an outdoor turtle pond with captured invasives or non-releasable aquatic turtles! In my experience turtle owners adore their pets and work really hard to care for them, I just feel the husbandry needs are a bit more advanced than people anticipate. Some turtles can really thrive in the right hands, but they’re not a low maintenance animal and I sincerely wish they weren’t quite as ubiquitous as an easily accessible household pet.