Turtles are one of the oldest animals existed on the Earth, living since more than 200 million years, even before the dinosaurs! These are the slow-moving creatures famous for their hard shells, and each turtle has a unique shell pattern, just like a fingerprint. Turtles can live both on land and in water, depending on their type. They are gentle, calm, and love lying in the sunrays. Turtles can live for many decades; some turtles can live over 100 years! Turtles are amazing survivors from the ancient world.
Here are the 11 interesting facts about Turtles !
1. Long Lifespan: Turtles can live for more than 100 years, especially the giant tortoises found on the islands.
2. Great Swimmers: Sea turtles can travel thousands of miles in the oceans at the time of migration to find food or nesting sites.
3. No Teeth, But Strong Jaws : Turtles don’t have teeth, but due to having hard, sharp, they can beak or crush food easily.
4. Ancient Survivors: Turtles have been living on Earth for more than 200 million years, even before dinosaurs existed!
5. Air-Breathing Reptiles: Even though turtles live in water, they need to come to the surface to breathe air through their lungs.
6. Slow but Steady: Turtles move slowly on land, but some sea turtles are able to swim up to 20 miles per hour!
7. Shell Sense: A Turtle’s shell has nerves that help them to feel touch or pressure when something brushes against it.
8. Silent Communicators: Turtles make soft sounds and vibrations underwater to communicate with each other.
9. Important for Nature: Turtles play an important role in keeping oceans and rivers clean by eating dead plants, animals and balancing the ecosystem.
10. Excellent Navigators: Sea turtles can find their way across the oceans as like having a natural compass, using the Earth’s magnetic field.
11. Wearing Their Bones Outside: A turtle’s shell is made of more than 50 bones joined together to form a strong outer layer. Their light and spongy bones help them to float in the water.
