What is the green sea turtle famous for? Green Sea Turtle Interesting Facts About Pet Turtles

The turtle is one of the few now existing species animals that have retained their appearance over time more than 220 million years. Today, there are about 330 species living in water and on land, on almost all continents of the Earth. Some species are listed in the Red Book as they are in danger of extinction.

Ancestors

The exact origin of the turtles has not been established. One version claims that they originated from eutonosaurs. They were small animals, similar to lizards, distinctive feature which had wide ribs forming a dorsal shield. According to another version, the ancestors of the turtle are discosaurixes- a special type of amphibian that lived 250 - 300 million years ago.

The characteristic feature of a turtle in the form of a shell was formed about 210 million years ago. At that time, the reptile still had teeth, which in the process of evolution began to replace sharp horny edges on the jaws.

The smallest turtle

The Cape speckled turtle is the smallest living turtle species. This is a land reptile, length adult ranges from 6 to 11cm, weight does not exceed 241g. Having a small body size, the turtle hides in rock crevices from unfavorable conditions.


Lives in semi-arid regions South Africa. Prefers shrubby savannas and dry forests. It feeds on fruits, flowers, stems and leaves. IN winter period turtles of this species hibernate, which lasts from 6 to 10 weeks and has a stimulating effect on sexual behavior.

The Cape speckled tortoise was on the verge of extinction until 2010. this moment its population is under surveillance.

The largest turtle

The largest representative living in our time is leatherback turtle. It is the fourth largest among reptiles. The name comes from the absence of a bony shell, instead of which there is a thick growth of tissue with slight ossification.


The leatherback turtle has the largest flippers of all reptiles, the span of which is up to 5 m, and is capable of reaching the maximum speed for reptiles - up to 35km/h. The maximum body length recorded in an individual of this species is 2.6 m, weight - 916 kg. The average length of individuals of this species is 1.8 m, weight is 500-600 kg.

The leatherback turtle lives in sea ​​waters the entire tropical and subtropical region of the world's oceans. The diet mainly includes jellyfish, mollusks, and small fish.

Sense organs

Turtles have good low-frequency hearing.

Mating season

Males are very aggressive during mating season. They fight among themselves for the right to achieve the female's favor. Land turtles chase an opponent with the goal of turning him over. Aquatic turtles chase and bite each other. The winning male gets the opportunity to stop the female and choose a position convenient for mating.


Courtship of some species of turtles looks like this: the male swims in front of the female backwards, patting her on the face with his claws.

Turtle meat is a delicacy and is considered illegal to cook in many countries, as many species of this reptile are on the verge of extinction.

However, their meat is consumed not only boiled, but also raw. But not all species are suitable for human food preparation. Certain species turtles can be poisonous because they feed on toxic organisms and fungi, poisonous jellyfish.

If not created for the turtle necessary conditions, when maintaining a home, there is a high probability of reptile diseases occurring with subsequent death.


The turtle must be in a terrarium. Moving freely around the apartment increases the risk of injury to the reptile, and also develops diseases such as rickets, kidney failure, and arthritis.

Driver, give way to the turtle!

In mid-June, in American state Minnesota turtles on their way to lay eggs are a common sight for drivers on the highway. In order to protect the movement of animals and prevent their injury and death, the authorities introduced a road rule requiring you to give way to a turtle.

According to the instructions, motorists should let or go around the reptile, but should not “help” by moving them from the road to the side of the road, as the animal may lose its way.

Did you know?

• The leatherback turtle can submerge for 70 minutes, reaching depths of up to 1280m.
• Some aquatic turtles have lacrimal glands that secrete salty tears, regulating the water-salt balance in the body.
• In some species, the shell of turtles is so strong that it can withstand pressure 200 times the weight of the individual itself.
• At the Carolina box turtle Individuals of different sexes differ in the color of the iris.
• Kanzashi are Japanese hair ornaments made from tortoise shell.
• Turtles were the first living creatures in the world to fly around the Moon and return to Earth. They became passengers on the Zond-5 spacecraft, launched in 1968.
• If you saw a turtle in a dream, this indicates a change for the better, helpful advice in the near future, as well as a long and happy life!

Turtles are creatures considered synonymous with slowness and leisure. They appeared on Earth long before people, and since then they have not changed that much. They live both on land and in water, and if aquatic turtles prefer fresh rivers and lakes, then others prefer salty seas and oceans. Be that as it may, these creatures are truly amazing.

1. The oldest fossil turtles are more than 220 million years old.
2. The ancestors of modern turtles had teeth. But they didn’t know how to hide their heads in their shells.
3. Despite their shell, turtles are by no means invulnerable. The jaguar, for example, loves to hunt them - its long and flexible paws allow it to do this with constant success (see).
4. The largest of all turtle species is the leatherback. The weight of an adult can reach 700-900 kg.
5. The long-extinct archelon tortoise weighed over two tons.
6. The meat of some turtle species is poisonous due to their diet. Yes, leatherback turtles eat poisonous jellyfish, which, in turn, makes their meat poisonous (see).
7. Soft-bodied turtles do not have a shell.
8. Some turtles live more than a hundred years.
9. Turtles can remember and distinguish human faces.
10. Turtles live on all continents except Antarctica, as well as on many islands (see).
11. Leatherback turtles can dive to depths of more than a kilometer, despite the monstrous pressure of the water column.
12. The larger the female turtle, the more eggs she can lay at one time.
13. From temperature environment The sex of the cubs that emerge from the laid eggs depends. By the way, the same situation is observed in crocodiles (see).
14. Aquatic species of turtles in their native element are by no means as slow as on land - while swimming they can reach speeds of up to 30-35 km/h.
15. Only one species (out of more than three hundred) of turtles calmly tolerates the cold - the Blanding's turtle, which lives in the north of Canada, in the Great Lakes.
16. Swamp turtles are record holders for fasting. If necessary, they can go without food for up to 4-5 years.
17. Large sea turtles understand the language of dolphins, which is confirmed by experiments and observations (see).
18. In case of danger Mediterranean turtles hiss like snakes.
19. Having laid their eggs, turtles forget about them forever. Of all the species of these creatures, only one takes care of its offspring, protecting the clutch of eggs.
20. Sea turtles can navigate in space using the magnetic field of our planet.

And the subtropical waters of the World Ocean. Despite its impressive size, it is completely harmless. The weight of the sea resident is up to 200 kg, and the length is from 75 to 150 cm. True giants are rarely found among them; their body weight reaches 450 kg. Males have longer tails than females, reaching 20 cm. Perhaps this is one of the noticeable differences between them.

The carapace is dark green or dark brown, with yellow stripes and spots. It is flattened, which distinguishes sea turtles from. In the latter, it is dome-shaped. Her belly is light yellow. The limbs are flippers, and the front ones are larger than the back ones. The head is large, the muzzle is rounded.

There are no teeth; they bite and crush food with the hard edges of the jaw. Big eyes They see everything perfectly, their instincts do not let them down - they will find food and, if possible, save them from the enemy.

She swims and dives excellently, spends her entire life in the water, only coming to land for an important matter - to lay eggs in the sand. When swimming, it reaches speeds of up to 10 km/h. These animals stay in the coastal zone, up to 6 meters deep, where there is an abundance of food. IN open waters The oceans rarely float away.

Mainly eats plant foods– sea grass and algae, rarely indulges in shellfish and jellyfish. They breathe with their lungs, coming up every five minutes to take a breath of air during active movement. In a state of rest or sleep for a long time (several hours) they may not emerge. They lead a solitary lifestyle. Looking for a partner in mating season. They swim to the shores where they themselves were once born. Females make this migration route once every two to three years, and males every year.

Having waited until dark, she crawls out and clumsily moves along the sand in complete silence. Having found a good place in his opinion, he begins to dig a hole. The green turtle will need only an hour for this difficult task. Then she will lay up to 200 eggs within 20 - 30 minutes, carefully bury them, level the surface as if nothing had happened, and go back to the sea. She will return to her feeding and habitual habitat, having traveled several hundred, and maybe thousands of kilometers.

And on a sandy beach, after 45 days, small turtles (5 cm long) will see the light, unless, or people find clutches. They rather run into the water to hide from danger. Having reached your element, it's all the same for a long time vulnerable. The shell is not as strong as that of adults, so many babies are eaten by fish and other sea inhabitants. The turtles themselves feed on mollusks, crustaceans, worms and jellyfish for the first years of their lives.

After five years, having reached a decent size, they gradually switch to plant food. They become fully grown between 10 and 25 years of age. Most main enemy individuals - man. People exterminate these wonderful animals for the sake of delicious, delicious meat, look for egg laying on the banks, dig them up and eat them. If this outrage is not stopped, green turtles will disappear.

Turtles are the oldest living animals in the world, and it is still unknown where they came from.

People see them as an exotic curiosity or a loved one pet, love turtle soup or are sure that they are the slowest creatures in nature. By the way, this is not true. The most Interesting Facts about turtles are collected in one place.

Let's get to know each other better

Since their appearance - two hundred million years ago, turtles have hardly changed in appearance. The difference from the ancient species is the teeth: 150 million years earlier, turtles were so toothy that the head did not fit into the shell.

The shell is the main difference between turtles and reptiles. The shells can be horny or bone, differ in appearance, but are equally durable.

According to their lifestyle and habitat, turtles are divided into two large groups- land and sea. There are more than 300 species of turtles in the world.

What's hiding behind the shell?

• The shell is complexly constructed: it consists of 50 parts (bones or scutes). This is not one plate as it seems. To put it unscientifically, the shell is rib cage turtles, located outside the body, not inside. Therefore, the turtle will not be able to jump out of the “house” and walk lightly, as often happens in cartoons.
• Turtles lengthen or shorten the spine - these manipulations are necessary for the animal to stick its head out of its shell or hide.

• Some types of turtles are equipped with shells that tightly close all openings if the animal is in danger. As soon as the reptile becomes alarmed, the shell turns into a reliable fortress.
• The shell, rough on the outside, is permeated with blood vessels and nerve endings. With severe damage, the animal bleeds and experiences pain.
• The shell is ultra-strong and can withstand up to 200 times the turtle's weight.
• The shell contains phosphorus. If a turtle sits in the sun all day, it will glow at night.

• Some peoples use turtle shells for fortune telling. They believe that you can learn to read your future from the patterns on the turtle’s “armor.”
• It has been scientifically proven that you can only read the past from the shell of a turtle: the patterns of the scutes, like the annual rings of trees, indicate the age of the animal.
• In land and aquatic turtles the structure of the shell varies greatly. Land dwellers need a dome-shaped and tall one, while those living in the waters need a streamlined one. Marine shells are drop-shaped, while freshwater shells are flat and low.

The truth about snail's speed

The stereotype about “turtle” speed is confirmed by land turtles - they are indeed very slow. But in water, these animals are capable of gaining significant speed - up to 35 km/h.

How slow will the speed be? land turtle, depends on the ambient temperature: the lower it is, the slower the turtle.

A turtle named Chester went down in history as the slowest traveler. The pet left its owners in 1960 and was discovered by neighbors in 1995. The white stripe, which the owners awarded the pet just for such a case, helped identify the fugitive. Chester moved away from home by only 686 meters over these 35 years.

About strength and endurance

The green sea turtle can carry several people - three or four - as long as it fits on its shell.

Turtles can survive without oxygen for up to 10 hours and can calmly continue their life without food for up to 5 years.

About wisdom

Turtles feel everything in the full sense of the word: they have acute vision, acute hearing, sense of smell and touch. Therefore, when constant communication with their owners, these pets identify them by appearance and smell.

Turtles understand and distinguish intonations. If they hear gentle speech, they crane their necks, and if they understand that they are being scolded, they hide in their shell.

About sea turtles

Sea turtles navigate in space using magnetic field Earth. This skill allows the animal to find its native places from any distance.

An adult sea turtle is not afraid of meeting a shark. Asian soft-bodied turtles - biting and aggressive turtles - faced with a terrible sea ​​predator in a small flock, they will bite to death.

Green sea turtle is the main ingredient in delicious turtle soup.

Sea turtles communicate with dolphins. When going to land to lay eggs, turtles first catch a signal from dolphins - they must confirm that conditions for reproduction are optimal.

About land turtles

All hardy turtles are classified as land turtles. They are the ones who are able to go without eating for months and years while maintaining a normal lifestyle. This is possible thanks to protective mechanisms nervous system, which adapts to the economy mode.

Turtles in deserts store rainwater as reserves. Animals lift their shells and water collects there. The structure of the body is designed to store collected water until it is needed to quench thirst.

About red-eared turtles

14% of the red-eared slider's body volume is filled with air. This keeps the animal afloat well.

Red-eared turtles became the prototypes of the famous cartoon characters - the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Red-eared turtles are chameleons: they are able to change the color of their shell to adapt to their environment.

About leatherback turtles

Among sea turtles, the leatherback, unlike the others, is able to live in the northern regions. In an animal heat bodies for survival cold water. Heating provides regular and complete nutrition for the leatherback turtle.

In the turtle world, it is also the record holder for deep diving: the leatherback turtle is capable of descending to a level of 1.2 km.

About the elephant turtle

This is a species of turtle that is in danger of becoming completely extinct.

The only representative of the Abingdon subspecies elephant turtles, who lived on Earth - male George. Scientists were never able to find a female that would suit George for procreation.

Lived on Galapagos Islands(Ecuador) 100 years old and died in 2012. Received the nickname Lonesome George.

Elephant turtles feeding poisonous plants. No other animal in the world can eat something like this and survive.

Among the ancient turtles, the largest archelon: lived in Cretaceous period, the shell grew 5 meters in length, the animal weighed 2 tons.

The giant among today's aquatic turtles is the leatherback. The body reaches 2.5 m in length, weight – 900 kg.

Rare representatives of elephant turtles are among the giants among land turtles: they grow 1.8 m in length and weigh 400 kg.

The smallest turtle

The record holder in this category is the Cape spotted turtle. The size of an adult varies between 6 and 10 cm, weight - 95–165 g.

Bolotnaya european tortoise is also famous for its miniature size. Length 12–30 cm, weight – up to 1 kg. A common type of turtle pet for children.

The record for longevity among aquatic turtles was set by those caught by sailors in Indian Ocean. Her age at that time was estimated at 50 years, and in captivity she lived another 150.

The world's longest-living record holder is the tortoise Jonathan, who lives on the island of St. Helena - 182 years.

The most beautiful turtle

This title went to star Indian turtle.

The carapace of this beauty - black pyramids with bright yellow stripes - is mesmerizing.

Dangerous species

Turtles can harm humans if they are representatives dangerous species reptile. Predatory subspecies - vulture, soft-bodied, big-headed, fringed - these turtles threaten with serious bites.

Leatherback turtles unintentionally become the culprits of capsized fishing boats: failing to maneuver in time, they fly into vehicle man with a battering ram.

• A turtle with six legs and two heads was discovered in Kyiv. This is a five year old female. More precisely, they are Siamese twins. The amazing animal does not have a name yet. One head of the miracle turtle is responsible for sleep, the second for food.

• The snapping turtle is cunning and lazy: it hides in the muddy bottom of a reservoir, with its mouth open and tongue hanging out. When passing fish mistake this tongue for a worm, the snapping turtle gets food.
• These animals are ubiquitous. Turtles are found on every continent on Earth except Antarctica.
• Fans of this animal celebrate World Turtle Day on May 23 every year.

• In September 1968, Central Asian turtles became part of the Soviet lunar expedition: on board the Soyuz-7K-L1 they flew around the Moon, lost weight, but remained alive and well.
• In 1969, a sea turtle helped a drowning man wait for rescuers: for 15 hours the man held on to the shell of the animal, which did not even think of diving back into the depths and returning to the intended route.
• On June 29, 2011, a commotion occurred due to a flock of turtles that came from the bay to JFK Airport (New York) to lay eggs there. Hundreds of turtles occupied the runways and dozens of flights were delayed.

The green turtle is a large, ponderous sea turtle with a wide, smooth shell. Found in tropical and subtropical coastal waters around the world. She can often be seen climbing out of the water onto land to bask in the sun.

The green sea turtle is so named not because of the color of its shell, which is typically brown or olive, depending on its habitat, but because of the color of its skin.

There are two species of green turtles; scientists have not yet agreed whether they are separate species or subspecies. This is an Atlantic species, found off the coast of Europe and North America and another species that has been found in coastal waters from Alaska to Chile.

The green turtle weighs 317.5 kg. and they are among the largest marine species in the world. Their proportionally small head, which does not protrude, starts from a heart-shaped shell, the length of which is 1.5 meters. Males differ from females in their large sizes And long tail. Both have paddle-like flippers, making them powerful and graceful swimmers.
Unlike most sea turtles, adult green turtles are herbivores, feeding on sea grass and algae. However, individuals that have not reached sexual maturity also eat invertebrates - crabs, jellyfish.

Again, the green ones differ from the sea ones in that the latter warm themselves by swimming close to the surface of the water, while the former more often crawl out onto land. They were sometimes seen sunbathing in the company of seals and albatrosses.

The green turtle, like its other relatives, travels long distances from feeding places to places where eggs are laid, most often on sandy beaches. Mating occurs every 2-4 years and usually in shallow waters closer to the shore. The same beaches where they were born are often chosen to lay eggs. Having dug a hole in the sand with their flippers, they lay 100-200 eggs, cover the hole and return to the sea, leaving their future offspring for two months. The most dangerous time in the life of a green turtle, this is the path from the nest to the sea, when they are hunted by many predators, including crabs and seagulls.

Average life expectancy is 80 years. The ancestors of the green turtle first lived on land and then went to sea about 150 million years ago. They are one of the few species so ancient that they witnessed the development and extinction of dinosaurs.
This species is endangered. And despite this, they continue to be killed for meat and eggs. Extinction is also associated with accidental deaths from motor boats, fishing gear, and destruction of nesting sites.