Term Makes Waves

Turtles, teen-age mutant ninja or the real kind, are reptiles, not amphibians! In an otherwise fun article one of your writers (March 31) described the current craze about the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” While recognizing that they had shells, thus turtles, therefore making them reptiles, the writer refers to them as “awesome amphibians.”

Perhaps the writer is confused between non-amphibian and the adjective amphibious. While many amphibians are amphibious, some are aquatic and others are completely terrestrial. The same is true for turtles. While Ninja Turtles have smooth skin (after all they are “mutant turtles”) they do have a shell with its scaly covering, hence are reptiles. Based on my observations of these mythical beasts, they are awesome amphibious reptiles!

BAYARD H. BRATTSTROM

Professor of zoology

California State University, Fullerton