The Sea Turtle is one of the few “primal animals” that still exist. On land, it moves slowly, but underwater it is a lot faster.
General Information
- Latin name: Chelonioidea
- Class: carnivores and herbivores (depending on the species)
- Species: Reptile
- Type: Carnivores (except the Green Sea Turtle)
- Where do they occur: This depends on the species of sea turtle, but especially in (sub)tropical waters.
- How old do they get: Sea turtles can get very old just like tortoises, ages of 60 years are no exception.
Power Supply
What turtles eat depends very much on the species and can vary from:
- Plants
- jellyfish
- sponges
- oysters
- sea cucumbers
- shrimps
- snails
Living Habits
When small turtles are born, they immediately run a great risk at night. Literally, hundreds of them have to crawl for their lives to get to the sea where they are safe. On the beach, there are many animals waiting to eat the little turtles for dinner. All in all, it takes them 30 years to reach adulthood, so they have a long childhood.
Characteristics Of The Body
The sea turtle can smell and breathe with its nose both above and underwater. Despite the fact that his ears are under the skin, he can hear very well with them. The difference between a tortoise and a sea turtle is that a sea turtle cannot retract its head and legs. The body itself is streamlined so that it can swim easily and quickly.
Reproduction
For reproduction, the turtle of the sea travels back to the place where it was born. When mating, the male clambers onto the female’s back and holds on with his flippers and tail. After fertilization, each goes its own way. After a few weeks, the female goes onto the beach, which takes a lot of effort, digs a shallow hole, and lays her eggs in it, there can be as many as 50.
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After this, she closes the pit again and leaves back to the sea. It happens that this whole process happens a few times more often, also because sea turtles do not live with a permanent partner and can therefore mate again with another turtle. After the breeding season, however, she does not return for a whole year.
Other Species
Hawksbill Turtle
This Sea Turtle eats sponges and usually lives near coral reefs in tropical waters. This turtle is unfortunately threatened with extinction.
Green Sea Turtle
The only turtle species that eat plants. This species mainly lives in tropical regions around the equator.
