Facts about Sea Turtles

Top Sea Turtle Facts

If you are looking for some great sea turtle facts, you have come to the right place. There is no denying that they are fascinating creatures. Yet they often fail to get the level of recognition that they really deserve. Chances are you will learn a great deal as you read through these facts.

The Leatherback Seat Turtle is the only species that doesn’t have a backbone that attaches to the inside of their shell. They are also the largest species of seat turtles in the world.

The baby sea turtles emerge from the eggs and scramble towards the water. They never get to interact with their parents. It is instinct alone that drives them to the water. Male Turtles of most species will never leave the water once they enter it as a youngling.

It is often hard to differentiate between male and female sea turtles due to the similarities in size. The way you can identify them is that males have a long tail as this is where the reproductive organs are located.

It is a myth that all turtles can tuck their heads into their shells. All land turtles can but not sea turtles. If you look closely, you will see that they all have eyelids that offer them protection from the sunlight for their eyes. They are able to see very well in the water but not on land. They are also color blind.

It is a common myth that sea turtles cry. What is really taking place is that they excrete the salt water from their bodies through their eyes. It is believed one method that males use to see who should get to mate with the female is who can raise their neck the highest. The female will choose who she mates with.

Sea turtles are amazing swimmers, and they can do it for hours and hours without becoming tired. They can move from 1 mile per hour to about 5 miles per hour. What is interesting is that some of them travel hundreds or more than 1,000 miles to reach the breeding grounds. This can take them a very long time to reach due to their slow but steady pace.

Sea turtles can dive more than 1,000 feet into the water in order to reach food. However, most of the time they will remain at the shallow parts of the water. They are cold blooded so they have the ability to slow down their metabolism. As a result they can go several months without food if necessary.

It can be difficult to accurately estimate the age of sea turtles. However, it is believed that many of the species can live from 50-80 years in the wild with the right conditions. This includes their natural habitat remaining intact and enough food to survive on.

Younglings can find their way to the water after hatching, but it can take several days for them to get there at a slow pace. It isn’t known how they are able to know where to go for survival. The most popular theory is that they have a magnetic preference in their bodies that push them away from the land. What is also observed is that they will make a complete circle around their nest before they move in a straight line towards the water.

The largest sea turtle every found was close to 1,500 pounds and 28 inches long. The muscles in their bodies are stronger than those of humans. Some sea turtles can travel up to 1,300 miles in a single day when migrating. This is based upon tracking devices researches have placed on some of them.