Horny ridges on the jaws serve the same function as what, for turtles?
hairs
skin
taste buds
teeth
Turtles may appear slow and harmless when they are out of the water, but in the water is another story. Turtles can be either herbivores or carnivores, with most sea turtles carnivorous . Turtles have a rigid beak and use their jaws to cut and chew food. Instead of teeth, the upper and lower jaws of the turtle are covered by horny ridges. Carnivorous, or animal-eating turtles usually have knife-sharp ridges for slicing through their prey. But as the turtle is not a very fast animal, and it cannot quickly turn its head to snap at prey, it does have some limitations. Sea turtles typically feed on jellyfish, sponges and other soft-bodied organisms. Some species of sea turtle with stronger jaws eat shellfish, while other species, such as the green sea turtle, do not eat any meat at all. Herbivorous turtles have serrated ridges that help them cut through tough plants.