Facts about Turtles

Here are some interesting facts about turtles and their cousins tortoises. I hope you are going to like these facts.

Leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea) are the largest of living chelonians. The biggest leatherback on record is a male found dead on a beach in Gwynedd, Wales on 23 September 1988. It measured 9 ft. 5 1/2 inches over the carapace, nine feet across the flippers, and weighed 2,120 lb.

The eggs of the giant snake-necked turtle stop developing when the nest temperatures drop below a certain level and then resume when the temperatures rise. Because of this phenomenon, incubation normally takes 12 months.

Some species of turtles have hinges on either the carapace or the plastron, which allow them to close their shell.

Red-eared sliders are popular pets. Another fact is that I also have the red-eared sliders as pets.

There is a worm-like, fleshy structure on the tongue of the snapping turtle which it waggles to attract fish.

Tortoises and turtles do not have teeth. They use their jaws to cut and chew the food and use their tongue to swallow the food, but they can't stick out their tongue to catch insects.

In prehistoric times, there was a species of turtle that used to be 10 feet long and probably weighed 4000 to 5000 pounds. It is named as Stupendemys geographicus.

Turtles have been on earth for more than two-hundred million years.

Box turtles often live more than hundered years.

The smallest of all sea turtles is Kemp's Ridley while Leatherback turtle is the largest of all sea turtles.

Ancient turtles had teeth and could not retract their heads, except from these two qualities they were almost like the modern day turtles.

A group of turtles is known as a bale.

Chelodina rugosa, the northern long-necked turtle of Australia lays its eggs under water. The eggs remain dormant in the nest until the waters recede and then development begins.

Aquatic turtles are able to absorb oxygen through their neck and cloacal area which allow them to stay under the surface of the water for extended periods and for hibernation.

Turtles are taken as symbols of longevity. The organs of turtles do not break down or become less efficient as time passes. The liver, lungs, and kidneys of a centenarian turtle have been found to be indistinguishable from its immature counterparts.

It is said that there are around 250 different species of turtles. To read facts on a few common turtle species visit: Turtle Facts

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