Turtles are the oldest reptiles on planet Earth, having lived more than 250 million years, adapting to different aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Although it is not known exactly how old they can get, it is estimated that they live more than 100 years. They reach sexual maturity at 50 years of age, which hinders their reproduction since they are often trapped in fishing nets and are hunted by humans and their predators.
Turtles are found everywhere on planet Earth except Antarctica. Therefore, it is everyone’s responsibility to take care of this animal species so that it continues to accompany us for many more years to come.
In this article you will find the most important aspects of their life and how to respect their habitats, where they live, what they feed on, their predators, and curious facts for you to know a little more about turtles.
Did you know that there are about 356 different species of turtles worldwide?
Apart from being the longest-lived, cold-blooded and oviparous reptiles that have ever inhabited the planet, they are in danger of extinction.
You can find land and aquatic turtles that are characterized by:
– Having a sharp beak rich in keratin, instead of teeth.
– Their most developed sense is vision, although they also use their sense of smell and hearing.
– Their metabolism is very slow, which allows them to be very long-lived, reaching a century of life, depending on the species.
– They do not usually lie on their shells, especially land turtles, which suffer a lot to turn over.
Aquatic turtles can be freshwater or saltwater, and can inhabit oceans, small ponds and lakes.
They have a smooth, hydrodynamic shell and legs with interdigital membranes or flippers, allowing them to swim moderately or to walk on the surface. They can hold their breath for a long time underwater, depending on the species, facilitating their underwater feeding.
Their diet is composed of algae, fish, octopus, jellyfish, crustaceans and corals. The latter provide them with nutrients such as calcium.
Land tortoises are slower because their shells are larger and harder, they can vary in size and color, it is common to observe them exposed to the sun to warm their cold blood, although there are calm species, others can be found more aggressive and territorial.
They are herbivorous and usually feed on leaves, fruits and stems, although some species are omnivorous and feed on some insects, worms and small mollusks.
Why are they at risk of extinction?
Turtles like many other reptiles mate according to seasonal patterns, but this has changed with global warming, altering reproductive cycles, although they are very long-lived and take time to mature sexually. When they manage to reproduce, females migrate thousands of kilometers to deposit their eggs on the beaches, but this is affected because many fall into illegal fishing nets or are captured for consumption, either to feed themselves or to use their shells for handicrafts or accessories for human use.
When the females finish nesting, they return to the sea leaving their eggs alone, those that manage to survive are at their mercy and have to enter the water to start their journey and survive in the sea. Temperature plays a very important role in the sexing of turtles. Depending on whether the nest is warm, female hatchlings are produced and if the nest is colder, male hatchlings are produced. With global warming, cold nests will be more affected, resulting in fewer males, thus affecting future reproduction and generating an imbalance.
Turtles from the moment they are born face several dangers, being on land they can be run over by vehicles or hunted by some land animals and birds, and being at sea the risk they run is that they get caught in nets, can be caught by boats or face predators such as sharks, killer whales and alligators in some places.
Another risk factor is plastic in the sea, becoming a deadly weapon in the home of these majestic animals since they can confuse plastic bags with jellyfish and can drown, become obstructed or malnourished until they die. They can also be injured by different plastics such as straws, bottles and even fishing nets.
Many turtles are taken from their environment to become pets, leaving an imbalance in the ecosystem and affecting their survival. It is our duty to prevent these things from happening, do not buy animals in captivity, do not consume products or food derived from turtles, we have to be part of the change and take care of them.
To conclude this article, we will give you some curious facts about turtles:
– did you know that male turtles never leave the ocean?
Sea turtles represent a high percentage of the turtle species in the world.
– Mating is very complex due to the rigidity of their shells, so some species have a dip in the male’s belly so that he can mate with the female.
– The sex of the turtles is determined by the climate of the nests.
– Females can lay 65 to 180 eggs in two to six clutches.
– The incubation period of the eggs is 6 – 10 weeks, depending on the species.
– Sea turtles take 20 to 30 years to mature and only remain active for 10 years to reproduce.
– Turtles living in temperate climates hibernate to escape the cold. In the case of sea turtles, they migrate to other latitudes.
– The longest-lived turtle ever seen was native to the Galápagos Islands and died at 175 years of age.
– Some marine species are green turtle (Chelonia Mydas), hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea), olive Ridley turtle, and Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea).
We invite you to continue reading our content. You will find information about other species, ecosystems, current news, and everything related to the environment because we know that, like us, you care and want the best for this majestic blue planet.
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