Turtles are reptiles with hard shells that protect them from predators. They are among the oldest and most primitive groups of reptiles, having evolved millions of years ago. Turtles live all over the world in almost every type of climate which is one of the facts about Turtles.
From giant, slow-moving land-dwelling tortoises and snappy terrapins basking in their fresh-water lagoons, to the graceful strokes of a sea turtle gliding through our oceans -there’s so much more to these guys.
215mag shares 10 totally amazing facts about turtles. To know them to scroll down.
1. Turtles rely on their vision.
Turtles have excellent vision – and they need it to survive and thrive. Scientific research has shown they can identify a range of different colors, and even favor some colors over others because they are more appetizing.
Research has also shown that some turtles become so debilitated without sight, they can’t make their way back to the water from land.
2. Antarctica is the only continent turtles don’t live on.
Being the adaptive creatures they are, turtles can survive in pretty much any conditions. While most of the species are found in south eastern America and South Asia, they can still be found in other parts of the world.
Sea turtles can sometimes end up in the European Arctic, but you won’t find any in Antarctica which is quite weird facts about turtles.
The leatherback turtle is the most widely distributed turtle, venturing into the Arctic Circle, and as far south as the bottom of New Zealand.
3. Sea Turtles cannot retract into their shell-like other turtles.
Since they don’t have to protect themselves from predators for most of their life on the water, sea turtles cannot retract their flippers and head into their shells. Their anatomy makes them more agile when under the sea but highly vulnerable when nesting and hatching.
4. The Shells Are Securely Attached to Their Bodies.
The fact is that the shell, or carapace, is securely attached to its body. The inner layer of the shell is connected to the rest of the turtle’s skeleton by various ribs and vertebrae. The shells of most turtles and tortoises are composed of “scutes,” or hard layers of keratin.
The same protein as in human fingernails. The exceptions are soft-shelled turtles and leatherbacks, the carapaces of which are covered with thick skin.
5. Turtles are easily recognized by their bony, cartilaginous shell.
This super-tough casing acts as a shield to protect them from predators – some turtles can even tuck their heads up inside their shell for extra protection!
6. All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises.
If you call a tortoise a turtle, you’re not wrong. However, when people refer to turtles VS tortoises, it’s usually the difference between where they live.
While most turtles live in or near water, tortoises are exclusively land animals. The only thing tortoises do regarding water is to drink it. These are the most uncommon facts about turtles.
7. Sea turtles have an internal GPS.
Who needs Siri? Not sea turtles. They have an internal system that helps direct them across the ocean and back using the earth’s magnetic field. Turtles can sense variations in the magnetic field and can pinpoint specific coastlines by the unique magnetic signature it has.
8. Some Live for Over 100 Years
As a rule, slow-moving reptiles with cold-blooded metabolisms have longer life spans than comparably-sized mammals or birds. Even a relatively small box turtle can live for 30 or 40 years, and a Galapagos tortoise can easily hit the 200-year mark.
If it manages to survive into adulthood (and most turtle babies never get the chance, since they’re gobbled up by predators immediately after hatching), a turtle will be invulnerable to most predators thanks to its shell.
There are hints that the DNA of these reptiles undergoes more frequent repair and that their stem cells are more easily regenerated.
9. Temperature dictates the sex of baby turtles.
Warmer nests lead to more females and cooler ones lead to more males—which is why climate change could drastically affect their populations by creating too many females and too few males to match them for reproduction.
10. Turtles can drown adding to facts about turtles.
Even though they seem to stay underwater for huge amounts of time, turtles can definitely drown. Anything without gills can drown!
In general, turtles can hold their breath for 30 minutes. But of course, with hundreds of species, this can vary. It also depends on the location and the temperature of the water.
One species, the loggerhead turtle, has been observed at staying underwater for 10 hours!
When a sea turtle is resting or sleeping, they can stay underwater for 4-7 hours. Turtles are smart enough to return to the surface when they need air.
Thank you for reading these 10 amazing facts about Turtles. If you think we missed out on any facts then please do add them in the comments section. And keep reading 215mag blogs for more such knowledgeable content.Read LaterAdd to FavouritesAdd to Collection
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