Turtles are reptiles characterized by a shell developed mainly from their ribs. The shell consists of two parts: the domed carapace on the back, and the flatter plastron on the belly. There are 360 living and recently extinct turtle species, including land-dwelling tortoises and freshwater terrapins. They are found on most continents, some islands and, in the case of sea turtles, much of the ocean. Their closest living relatives are crocodilians and birds. Turtles are ectotherms or "cold- blooded", meaning that their internal temperature varies with their direct environment. They are generally opportunistic omnivores and mainly feed with limited movements. Turtles lay their eggs on land; sea turtles migrate long distances to lay their eggs on a favored beach. Turtles have appeared in myths and folktales. Some species are widely kept as pets. Turtles have been hunted for their meat and shells, and for use in traditional medicine. Many species are threatened due to habitat destruction.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1706:

War of the Spanish Succession: The Grand Alliance armies routed the Franco-Spanish-Bavarian army in Ramillies, present-day Belgium. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ramillies

1873:

The North-West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was established to bring law and order to and assert Canadian sovereignty over the Northwest Territories. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North-West_Mounted_Police

1934:

During a strike against the Electric Auto-Lite company in Toledo, Ohio, U.S., a mob of nearly 10,000 began a riot and a five-day running battle with the Ohio National Guard. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-Lite_strike

2008:

The International Court of Justice awarded the Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca to Singapore, resolving a 29-year-old territorial dispute in the Singapore Strait. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedra_Branca_dispute

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

pall: 1. (transitive) To make vapid or insipid; to make lifeless or spiritless; to dull, to weaken. 2. (intransitive) To become dull, insipid, tasteless, or vapid; to lose life, spirit, strength, or taste. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pall

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

From every standpoint the world of humanity is undergoing a re- formation. The laws of former governments and civilizations are in process of revision, scientific ideas and theories are developing and advancing to meet a new range of phenomena, invention and discovery are penetrating hitherto unknown fields revealing new wonders and hidden secrets of the material universe; industries have vastly wider scope and production; everywhere the world of mankind is in the throes of evolutionary activity indicating the passing of the old conditions and advent of the new age of re-formation. Old trees yield no fruitage; old ideas and methods are obsolete and worthless now. Old standards of ethics, moral codes and methods of living in the past will not suffice for the present age of advancement and progress.   --`Abdu'l-Bahá https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/%60Abdu%27l-Bah%C3%A1