If turtles are amazing creatures of nature, turtle facts are even more amazing and the more you know about them, you want to own one! One of the most interesting turtle facts is their lifespan – turtles can live anywhere from 50 years to 100 plus years. Hatchlings are born with an egg tooth and it helps them to break the eggshell and emerge into the world.
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.
