Tails in animals serve various purposes. For instance, in a fish, a tail helps the animal change the direction of its motion, while in a cheetah, it helps the fast-moving mammal maintain balance when running? So, what does a tail help a turtle with?
Why do turtles have tails?
Male and female turtles have tails, even tortoises too. The tails are a vital part of their anatomy. They serve purposes such as reproduction in males, hiding the cloaca vent in females, and maintaining balance, among other reasons.
The tail of a turtle is relatively tiny in comparison with other animals. This is more so in females. Let us have a detailed look into additional reasons why these animals need a tail and more on this organ.
Do All Turtles Have Tails?
All turtle species have tails, including tortoises and terrapins.
Male box turtle species have longer, thicker tails. Because of this, the vent in these turtles is found further from the shell’s back edge. On the other side, female box turtles have shorter, skinny tails. As such, their vent is nearer the edge of their shells.
Snapping turtle species have long tails with bony plates. In some cases, it’s even longer than their carapace. Because of the long tail, snapping turtle species at times resemble the prehistoric dinosaurs. The reason why this species has longer tails is that they often have longer penises. A longer tail helps effectively cover up this reproductive organ.
Sea turtle species also have long tails. Once they reach reproductive maturity, it is possible to distinguish the sexes by length. Other mechanisms used to distinguish male from female turtles include shell length, claws length, shell size, and shape.
How Does a Turtle’s Tail Look Like
Skin and scales cover a turtle’s tail, so it has a scaly appearance. It, therefore, resembles the rest of the body parts, such as limbs. The color of the tail is also similar to the rest of its body.
A turtle’s tail may have markings depending on the species. Those with spots or markings on their limbs tend to have the same pattern on their tails. A turtle’s tail also doesn’t wiggle as much as that of a dog, cow, or cheetah. It has a more stiff appearance.
Why Turtles Have Tails
1. Reproduction
In males, the tail of a turtle carries its reproductive organs. Male turtles, tortoises, and terrapins have a tail primarily for reproduction purposes. But this is not the case in females.
Upon reaching sexual maturity, the tail of a male turtle grows a spurt. While that of a female will not grow significantly longer upon maturity, that of a male grows big and often extends past the flippers.
A male turtle’s penis is at the base of its tail. It helps the male hold the female in place during mating. As for females, their reproductive organ is not in the tail. However, they use the tail to cover the cloaca.
The tail’s tip is sensitive in both female and male turtles. In the absence of this sensitivity, it would be hard for the male to locate the opening of the female’s cloaca. A male turtle uses the tip of its tail like a finger to find the cloaca in the female. Upon locating it, the male will again use the tail’s tip to the female’s vagina and penetrate it.
When the male turtle penetrates the female, it will release sperms that fertilize the female’s eggs. Another function of the tail in reproduction is to block other male turtles approaching the female while mating.
Female turtles hardly move their tails. They keep it down and cover the vent majority of the time. Only during mating do they move their tails up and sideways to allow the male turtle to manage to penetrate the penis.
Even though the reproductive organ in a male turtle needs to be inside the tail, there are rare occasions where the organ might be protruding outside the cloaca. Other than when erect, the organ might protrude in case of agitation, infection, constipation, defecation, urination, or muscle control challenges.
2. Vent Protection
A female turtle uses the tail to protect the cloaca (vent). The cloaca is the back opening of the reproductive, digestive, and urinary tracts in turtles. Turtles use this organ as a channel to release waste products from the body. An open vent is left vulnerable to external threats. As such, the tail needs to be covered when not mating or releasing waste products.
3. Provides Balance
Unlike fish, turtles do not use their tails for swimming. They, instead, use their elongated neck to assist them in swimming. However, they, in some cases, use it to achieve balance.
Terrestrial turtles are the land-dwelling turtle species that navigate through rocks and uneven surfaces. The tail acts as an extra limb to maintain balance through challenging terrains.
Some species of sea turtles also need balance when navigating corals on the ocean floor.
4. Act as a Fourth Flipper
Sea turtles have flippers. Upon laying eggs on sand, turtles have to fill up the nests with sand to hide the eggs from predators and let the eggs incubate. Turtles do not wait around their nests during incubation, and they also don’t nurture their young ones.
They use the tail as a fifth flipper in covering the nests and levelling the area to prevent predators from being suspicious of an existing nest. While levelling with the flippers, the tail also moves and helps in the same.
Does It Hurt to Pick a Turtle By Its Tail?
Never pick captive or wild turtles by the tail. They do hurt, and you might end up injuring the animal. Some species might get shocked, and the turtle might try to bite you, especially the snapping species. Their tails are also sensitive to pain, so besides bruising, they will also feel pain.
How to Safely Pick Up a Turtle
You should never pick a wild turtle unless you are moving it to safety. One should also not move a turtle from the wild to captivity. If you need to move a turtle, here are measures to follow for the reptile’s safety.
Lift the turtle from the back part of the shell and not the front. Picking up the animal from the front might make it bite due to being frightened. If crossing the road, only move the pet in the direction they were moving. Don’t place them on the edge of surfaces as they might fall, resulting in shell damage.
Always pick the turtle with both hands and never use one hand only. Beware that the turtle might react by waving its legs or trying to snap, especially in the wild. It may also withdraw the limbs, tails, and head. Place your fingers below the plastron and thumbs on the carapace. Larger turtle species might be tough to handle, so you may need to exercise more caution.
Do not pick baby turtles using one hand, no matter how small they may be. Doing this puts pressure on their shells and might end up causing damage or injuries to the young reptile. A turtle’s shell is also sensitive to pain. Place your open palm beneath its belly, ensuring that the limbs can touch your hand.
Where possible, identify the turtle species before picking as some, such as the snapping species, can cause serious bites.
Why Male Turtles Have Longer Tails than Females
Female turtles have shorter and thinner tails compared to their male counterparts. That of a male is used for reproduction purposes as it houses the penis.
It is crucial to know that different turtle species grow tails to different lengths. You want to ensure that the turtles whose tail’s length you are comparing to distinguish the sexes are of the same species.
Turtle breeders often use the difference in the length of the tails to tell apart male from female turtles. It is one of the unique signs and easy to use once you gain a little experience.
Can Turtles Regrow Their Tails?
Some reptiles, such as lizards, can regrow their tails if it is cut off or when they shed them off. Although turtles are also reptiles, they can’t regrow their tails. If not entirely cut off, the wounded tail can heal with adequate care and proper medication.
However, even with effective care, the tail will not fully regrow. The scar will fade off with time and become less visible as time goes. Furthermore, if the turtle is a juvenile and the tail has not entirely grown, it will continue growing after healing.
Conclusion
Turtles have tails for several reasons. The main one for males is aiding in reproduction. Other benefits include providing balance when moving in a non-even terrain, covering the cloaca in females, and acting as a first flipper in sea turtles.
Males have longer tails than females. Snapping turtle species have the longest tails. It helps these creatures gain stability when moving uphill and also covers their longer penises.
Handle wild and captive turtles carefully and never hold them by the tail. We believe that you got an answer to your question and learned something new about turtle tails.