White Frame Corner
White Frame Corner

Fascinating & Fun Turtle Facts

Multiple Blue Rings

#1 Turtles and tortoises are not the same

Turtles prefer the water and have thicker, rounder shells than tortoises, which are land-based. Turtles have smaller legs and webbed feet.

Burst

Primitive turtle fossils discovered in China in 2008 are 210 million years older than the earliest fully completed shell. There are now a huge variety of turtles.

#2 Turtles have been around for over 200 million years.

Multiple Blue Rings

#3 The turtle’s shell is part of its skeleton.

The 60+ fused bones that make up a turtle's shell are affixed to the spinal column and cannot be separated. Certain animals, like several species of snapping turtles, can retreat to hide.

Burst

The insects, fish, crustaceans, and water plants that inhabit their ecosystem determine the food of turtles. Herbivorous tortoises eat fruits and vegetables.

#4 A turtle’s diet is flexible.

Multiple Blue Rings

The oldest turtle ever is currently believed to be 189 years old!

Burst

Between their nesting and feeding grounds, leatherback sea turtles can travel up to 10,000 miles annually, and they are capable of diving to depths of 4,000 feet.

#6 Some sea turtles can swim 10,000 miles in one year.

Multiple Blue Rings

Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica.

Burst

Because to their high mortality rate—only 1 in 1,000 grow to adulthood—sea turtles produce many clutches annually and lay over 100 eggs at a time.

#8 Sea turtles can lay over 100 eggs at a time.

Multiple Blue Rings

#9 Turtles don’t have visible ears.

Turtles don't have apparent ears, but they can hear. Internal ear bones allow them to detect vibrations. Ear infections may result from poor nutrition or cleanliness.

Burst

Some species of turtle can grow to weigh over 2,000 pounds.

Multiple Blue Rings

#11 Weather can impact the gender of a turtle.

Gender is not determined at fertilisation for turtles. Temperatures below 81.86°F indicate a man, while above 87.8°F indicate a woman. Between is a genderless term.

Burst