• Leatherback

Not only is the leatherback the largest of the species, it is one of the world’s largest reptiles. Growing between four to eight-feet-long, the leatherback can weigh as much as two-thousand pounds. Despite its weight, it is able to consume twice that amount, daily, in prey.The leatherback is the only one of the species that does not have a shell. Instead, it is covered in long, hard scales. The leatherback dates back over one-hundred and fifty-million years, and is the oldest of the species. It is also able to dive deeper than any other member of the species. It is interesting that while the leatherback managed to survive the extinction of the dinosaurs, today it struggles to survive.

• Green Sea Turtle

The green sea turtle can grow up to four- feet-long, though it generally is not as large as the leatherback. The adults are herbivores and enjoy seaweed, grasses, algae, and other sea plant life. Its beak is sharp and serrated. In fact, the green sea turtle acts as a sort of landscaper of the sea. It trims the sea grasses, but leaves the roots, allowing the seabeds to grow back stronger and thicker. The green sea turtle is the only one of the species that regularly comes ashore to bask.

• Loggerhead

The loggerhead is normally found in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. It can grow up to four-feet-long and weigh as many as four-hundred pounds. The loggerhead, so named because of its large head, has a strong, crushing jaw that allows it to crack open and eat almost anything with a hard shell, such as crabs and conchs. Some loggerhead will migrate from as far as Japan to Baja California Sur. In fact, a loggerhead was the first sea creature to be tracked across an entire ocean.

• Hawksbill

The hawksbill sea turtles are coveted for their colorful shells. They are found in tropical waters and enjoy corral reefs, lagoons, and rocky areas. This sea turtle has a narrow head and a sharp bird-like beak. The hawksbill feed almost exclusively on sponges.

• Olive Ridely

The pale green olive ridely will only grow to about two-feet-long. This sea turtle is perhaps the most abundant of the species, and they nest in masses that are known as arribadas.

• Flatback

The flatback sea turtle has a relatively flat shell which curves upward around the outer edges. This sea turtle can weigh as many as two-hundred pounds and grow up to three-feet in length. It is an omnivore, and feeds on sea cucumbers, shrimp, and soft corals. The flatback is preyed upon by the saltwater crocodile, which is the largest reptile on earth.

• Kemp’s Ridley

The Kemp’s ridley is the smallest of the sea turtle species, weighing no more than one-hundred pounds and growing no larger than two-feet-long. It has a triangular head with a hooked beak and a strong jaw. It loves crabs, but will eat fish, shrimp, and a variety of molluscs. This species was on the brink of extinction in the 1980s, with only around two-hundred nesting sites. However, today it has nearly twelve-thousand nesting sites.

Sea turtles do not have retractable heads and flippers, and there is no sexual difference between the male and females. In fact, the only physical difference in the adults is that the male will have a longer and broader tail than the female. Sea turtles shed tears as a way of ridding their systems of salt water. These stunning sea creatures are treasures of the sea that hopefully can be appreciated by mankind for as long as there is water in the ocean. Browse this site for more fun sea turtle facts, because the wealth of information to be learned about these creatures is as boundless as the sea.

Turtles are cold-blooded reptiles that regulate their body temperature by using the sun and can be found on every continent except Antarctica! Turtles inhabited this planet before humans. Turtles are believed to come from the late Triassic Period of the Mesozoic era, 220 million years ago.  Their shells evolved from extensions of their backbone and broad ribs to form a complete shell for protection. These first turtles are believed to have had half shells (shells on bottom with an exposed back). We have few fossil records of these first turtles but by the late Jurassic Period turtles developed a complete carapace (full shell) and their habitat spread from the China area to a more global distribution. We have more complete fossil records of these turtles.

There are over 300 species of turtles, all of which lay eggs.  Sea turtles as well as some river-dwelling turtles are migratory and travel up to hundreds of miles to lay eggs in the same places they were hatched.  Some species lay eggs on beaches and others lay eggs in fields, but they all dig nests and lay eggs.  The incubation temperature of the eggs determines the sex of the hatchlings in many species.  The sexing of these hatchlings is done in a short window in the middle third of embryonic development.

The shells of turtles are made up of individual plates of keratin that fuse together to make one shell.  Species such as sea turtles and snapping turtles have fixed shells that do not move while species such as the eastern box turtle have hinged shells that can close up tight.  The top part of a turtle shell is called the carapace and sits on its back, while the underside of the shell is called the plastron.  Shells serve as protection from other animals and also are used to help camouflage the turtle.  Different turtles have different patterns on their shell in order to help them blend into their habitat.  The musk turtle can also produce a strong smell to deter other animals.

There are so many facts that a single article can’t cover all of them.  There are many species of turtles and many people have turtles as pets.  Common pet species are the eastern box turtle, the red ear slider turtle, the painted turtle, various tortoises and snapping turtles.  Some species are fairly easy to take care of but you should always stay informed on the species you are taking care of and regularly have your turtle checked by a veterinarian.  Also be sure to keep reading our site to learn more turtle facts.

All tortoise species lay eggs and the females dig nesting burrows where they lay 1-30 eggs depending on the species. Egg incubation takes between 60-120 days and in most cases the incubation temperature, during a small window of the embryonic development, determines the sex of the hatchling. Embryos will attach themselves to the top of the inner egg shell, so it is important not to turn over a tortoise egg in incubation. Hatchlings have an egg tooth they can use to help free themselves from their egg and emerge into the world. For the first 3-7 days, the hatchlings will feed off of the embryonic sac until the hatchling has the strength to venture from the nesting burrow.

Tortoises have lifespans between 80 and 150 years. The longest recorded lifespan was 188 years by a tortoise named Tui Malila. Tui Malila was given to the Tongan royal family by a british explorer named Captain Cook after its birth in 1777. The tortoise remained in the family until its death in 1965. The only other vertibrate in the world to live longer was a koi fish named Hanako, which lived to be 226 years old. There was a tortoise in India that was believed to be 250 years old but records on the tortoise only varified 130 years of its life.

If you are thinking of keeping a tortoise as a pet it is important that you study up on the particular species of tortoise you are interested in because toroises come from all parts of the world including dry deserts and the Russian tundra. While some tortoises are carnivorous, most are herbivorous. However, it is not uncommon for juvenile tortoises to eat bugs and worms for the additional protein. Many adult tortoises eat leafy greens, grasses, and some fruit, but it is important for all tortoises to eat a varied and well rounded diet. Both in the wild and in captivity, tortoises are susceptible to parasites, abscesses, pneumonia, egg-binding, kidney and liver disease, and colic. It is important that pet tortoises be seen by a veterinarian each spring and autumn. It is also important that you get your tortoise facts straight, because species that are native to regions around the equator may not hibernate, while other species may hibernate up to 8 months out of the year. Some owners have been known to hibernate their tortoises in the refrigerator. As with other turtle species, tortoises can hibernate in sub freezing temperatures without their blood freezing, however I would never recommend putting any turtle in a freezer.

If owning a tortoise or turtle interests you, I would advise that you do your research. These are great animals and can be great pets, but be sure you learn as much as you can about the species you are interested in and get your turtle checked by a veterinarian regularly. Also, keep checking in on our site to get all of your tortoise facts!