Turtles are amazing creatures. Two years ago, I looked out my office window and saw this turtle ambling across the yard. What a snapper was doing out there is a mystery; perhaps she was headed back to the lake after laying her eggs. Her shell had bite marks on it in places, as if some critter once nearly had had her for dinner and she somehow escaped. I have a healthy respect for snappers and inspected her from a distance. She did not look friendly! I went back to my work and she was gone amazingly quickly. (For more information on snappers, see this excerpt from the Nature Almanac.)
Although snappers are awe-inspiring, they lack the mystique of the sea turtle. As part of the celebration surrounding the Name the Turtle Contest, what follows are some interesting facts about sea turtles.
1. Land turtles can retract their heads and legs into their shells. Sea turtles cannot.
2. The largest sea turtle, the leatherback, can reach 6 1/2 feet in length and weigh over 2,000 pounds! That’s a tall basketball player in length and nearly the weight of a small car such as a Honda Civic or Ford Focus, which weigh about 2,500 pounds.
3. Assuming they escape all dangers, sea turtles live about 50 years although some may live to be 80.
4. Sea turtles are found all over the world, except in very cold waters. Their diets vary; some eat meat/fish, some eat plants and some eat both.
5. With their back flippers, sea turtles dig a hole in the sand, where they lay their eggs. Hatchlings make their dash for the ocean at night, in the dark, when predators are less likely to be able to find them. This is the only time sea turtles are on land.
6. Sea turtles like to be alone. In fact, they spend their lives alone except when they meet to create more sea turtles.
7. Seven species of sea turtles exist; six of those are protected by the Endangered Species Act. Many organizations in the US are dedicated to helping save these beautiful creatures. In another post, we will talk about some of these efforts.
A list of books about sea turtles for younger readers is posted on the Seaworld website.
Don’t forget to enter the Name the Turtle Contest to win the sea turtle Storybook Quilt!
