Sea turtles

Sea turtles are reptiles that live in a marine or brackish environment. The flippers of sea turtles are long and paddle-like, making them excellent for swimming but poor for walking on land. Another characteristic that helps sea turtles swim easily is their streamlined carapace, or shell.

* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Reptilia
* Subclass: Anapsida
* Order: Testudines
* Family: Cheloniidae or Dermochelyidae

Sea turtles are classified in the Class Reptilia, Subclass Anapsida and Order Chelonii. There are seven recognized species of sea turtles, six of which are in the Family Cheloniidae (the hawksbill, green, flatback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley and olive ridley turtles), with only one (the leatherback) in the family Dermochelyidae.