chelonian

American  

[ki-loh-nee-uhn] / kɪˈloʊ ni ən /

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the reptilian order Testudines (formerly Chelonia), comprising turtles, tortoises, and terrapins.

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noun

1. a turtle, tortoise, or terrapin.

chelonian British  

/ kɪˈləʊnɪən /

noun

1. any reptile of the order Chelonia, including the tortoises and turtles, in which most of the body is enclosed in a protective bony capsule

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adjective

1. of, relating to, belonging to, or characteristic of the Chelonia

chelonian Scientific  

/ kĭ-lō′nē-ən /

1. Any of various reptiles of the order Chelonia (or Testudines), which includes the turtles and tortoises. Chelonians lack teeth and usually have a hard shell that protects the body and consists of bony plates fused to the vertebrae and ribs. Unlike all other living reptiles, the skulls of chelonians lack temporal openings, which is characteristic of the earliest known reptiles (called anapsids). Chelonians evolved during the late Permian or Triassic Period and have changed little since.

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Etymology

Origin of chelonian

First recorded in 1820–30; from New Latin Chelōni(a) (from Greek chelṓn(ē) “turtle” + Latin -ia, neuter plural noun suffix) + -an

Example Sentences

In 2009 he founded the African Chelonian Institute, Africa’s first conservation organization dedicated solely to the preservation of the continent’s 60 turtle and tortoise species.

From National Geographic

Looking back, Peritresius was an early glimmer of the chelonian grace of today's hawksbills and loggerheads.

From Scientific American

The Chelonian Center received 38 of the spotted turtles confiscated as evidence in an ongoing investigation.

From Los Angeles Times

“This case signals a new and distressing trend: poachers in the U.S. willing to swap our own wildlife for a few dollars from Chinese collectors,” Paul Gibbons, chief operating officer of the nonprofit Turtle Conservancy's Behler Chelonian Center in Ventura County, said.

From Los Angeles Times

According to PetCo, captive red-eared sliders can live up to four decades, making Moses ancient, even in chelonian years.

From The Guardian

Related Words

• tortoise