Reptiles belong to the category of the most ancient inhabitants of the planet. Modern scientists can tell a lot about the life of turtles. In their field of vision are the species that inhabit the waters and land of the Earth today, as well as the ancestors of these animals.
Prehistoric Views
Among the descriptions of ancient turtle species, the most common are those that inhabited the Earth 220 million years ago. Extinct species that lived on the planet in a later period are also known. Their distinguishing feature is that the tortoise shell was located only in the lower part of the body. Prehistoric animals had teeth, modern species don't.
The sizes of reptiles are also impressive. Scientists have found that the largest turtle that ever existed on Earth, supposedly measured about two meters in diameter, and its weight was more than two tons. The data was established by scientists thanks to the found skeleton of an ancient turtle. This turtle ancestor was given the name archelon.
Size and habitat of modern turtle species
Today, among all representatives of the class, the largest turtle is the leatherback. The size of her shell in diameter canreach two or more meters. This giant animal lives in the seas.
Among the land tortoises, the elephant has the largest size. Its size can be one meter in diameter, and its weight reaches 600 kilograms or more. The bog turtle has the smallest dimensions, they reach only ten centimeters.
The habitat is the most diverse. Turtles have adapted to life in a variety of conditions. The food habits of the animal depend on the place of residence of the animal. Food can be of plant and animal origin.
Shell
Listing interesting facts about turtles, one cannot but pay attention to such a structural feature of the body of an animal as a shell. This armor is a reliable protection in many adverse situations, since the shell is able to withstand a weight exceeding the mass of the reptile itself two hundred times. It became known that the tortoise shell is riddled with nerve endings, thanks to which the animal can respond to environmental changes.
In moments of danger, the turtle retracts its head and limbs, as a result of which they are covered with a shell. It is rare that a predator manages to get an animal hiding in a shelter.
Lifespan
Turtle can rightly be considered a group of centenarians of the planet. There are cases when the life expectancy of individual individuals was 250 years. Most turtles in the wild live a little over a hundred years - the age is also very impressive.
To find out how old a turtle is, you need to carefully look at its shell. The concentric arrangement of the rings on the shields will indicate the number of years the animal has lived. The way to determine the age of a turtle is similar to that used to determine the years of living of woody plants - by annual rings on the trunk.
Turtle movement
Listing interesting facts about turtles, it is necessary to say about the ability of these animals to move on land and in water. It is generally accepted that turtles are very slow. But this does not always happen. Their speed of movement depends on the ambient temperature. In cold weather, animals move slowly, and in hot weather, the speed increases and can reach 15 kilometers per hour. In the water, turtles reach speeds of up to thirty-five kilometers per hour.
The slowness of animals is also connected with the peculiarities of the structure of their body. The short limbs and massive shell of the tortoise do not allow it to crawl at high speed. These animals are the personification of slowness and clumsiness. But it is worth recognizing that to a greater extent these characteristics relate to terrestrial species.
Interesting facts about turtles
Special literature contains many amazing facts from the life of turtles. For example, some of their species that live in water bodies are able to hold their breath for ten hours. This is a record for a group of vertebrates. Among representatives of different species of turtles, there are animals withaggressive habits. Cayman turtles can watch for waterfowl and snakes. There have been cases of attacks on humans. A large animal can become a victim of a flock of hungry reptiles.
The world of turtles is unusually diverse. There are species that are able to do without food for a long time. For example, an elephant tortoise can starve for eighteen months.
Reptiles inhabit all continents of the Earth. Turtles are not found only in Antarctica. All species require a warm environment to reproduce. Published interesting facts about turtles always contain material that tells about the behavior of animals during breeding. During this period, they are able to make transitions over great distances. Young reptiles behave similarly.
Turtles are well tamed and live close to humans. It became known that such animals can well distinguish the faces of people who care for them. At the same time, the appearance of a person is perceived visually, and not at the chemical level. In addition, turtles distinguish the intonation of the human voice. With its calm, gentle sound, the turtle stretches its head and listens to the sounds. When shouting, harsh or loud voices, turtles pull their heads under the shell.
Some species are excellent divers. Cases of animals penetrating to a depth of about 1200 meters have been recorded. Turtles have also been in space. The choice of scientists was justified by the fact that these animals can go without food for a long time, use them for breathinga small amount of oxygen, under adverse conditions hibernate.
Animal protection
The greatest harm to turtles in the entire history of their existence on Earth was caused by man. There are periods when animals were massively destroyed for the sake of meat, shell or other parts of the body. Sailors, setting sail, took dozens of live turtles aboard the ship. Animals did not require special care and feeding, and, if necessary, served as a source of dietary meat.
Some traditional medicine recipes require turtle body parts or waste products. This circumstance also caused unauthorized capture of animals, which, in turn, had a negative impact on the number.
The predatory attitude of man towards reptiles has led not only to a reduction in their number, but also to the threat of extinction of animals. Urgent action was required to avoid the extinction of many species. Currently, half of all species of turtles living on Earth are in danger of extinction.
