paleoart:

Evolution Series: A Torrent of Turtles

Turtles are some of the oldest vertebrate groups on Earth. No one knows for sure where exactly they fit in the reptilian family tree, but their incredible evolution is well known thanks to amazing fossil finds.

*The animals represented here are not to scale and don’t represent a direct line of descent, but rather plausible models for how this amazing transition happened.*


PatreonKo-fiFacebook  • Prints & Merch

typhlonectes:

These muddy turtle children were found crawling out of the ground, right next to the Erie County Fair in far Eastern NY State.

Bio-techs from the nearby
U.S Fish & Wildlife Service – Lower Great Lakes Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office

helped to relocate these freshly hatched Common Snapping Turtles to a suitable wild location in the

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, far from any roads.

(Photo credit: Colleen Kolb/USFWS)

Here come the most Extra of turtles and tortoises

kyuubijrr:

chaussettesock:

turtlessuggest:

Indian Roof Turtle, about as close to a dragon turtle as we’re likely to get.

image

Burmese Roof Turtle, with a banana for a head

image

Diamondback Terrapin, the Rorschach of turtles

image

Red-Bellied Short-Necked Turtle, just look at those colors!

image

Burmese Starred Tortoise, geometrically chic

image

Radiated Tortoise, also geometrically chic but maybe more art deco

image

Painted Terrapin, no need to send in the clowns

image

Leopard Tortoise, breaking the mold with a little art noveau

image

Bell’s Hingeback Tortoise, “You think box turtles got it on lockdown? Hold my noms and watch this!”

image

Impressed Tortoise, what it says on the tin

image

Cane Turtle, otherwise known as “Winner Of Turtle Death Glare Competition Since Forever”

image

Mata-Mata Turtle, the very definition of chaotic Neutral as a turtle

Spiny turtle, a very sharp and very dangerous boy

Cantor’s giant softshell turtle, a pancake with turtle pieces

Alligator snapping turtle, a real life honest dragon

The last one!!!