Interesting facts about turtles. The unique abilities of turtles

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 reservoirs and land of the Earth today, as well as the ancestors of these animals.

Prehistoric species

Among the descriptions of turtles of ancient species, there are often those that inhabited the Earth 220 million years ago. Also extinct species that lived on the planet in a later period are also known. Their distinguishing feature is that the tortoise shell was only in the lower part of the body. Prehistoric animals had teeth, in modern species they are absent.

Impressive and the size of reptiles. Scientists have established that the largest turtle that ever existed on Earth supposedly measured about two meters in diameter, and its mass was more than two tons. The data are established by scientists thanks to the found skeleton of an ancient turtle. This ancestor of the tortoise was given the name of archelon.

Dimensions and habitat of modern turtles

Today, among all the representatives of the class, the largest turtle is leathery. The size of its shell in diameter can reach two or more meters. This giant animal lives in the seas.

Among the land tortoises, the largest size is the elephant. Its size can be one meter in diameter, and the weight reaches 600 kilograms and more.
The swamp turtle has the smallest dimensions, they reach only ten centimeters.

Habitat is the most diverse. Turtles adapted to life in a variety of conditions. From the place of residence of the animal depends on his nutritional preferences. Food can be of plant and animal origin.

Shell

Enumerating interesting facts about turtles, one can not ignore such a feature of the structure of the animal's body, as a shell. This armor is a reliable protection in many adverse situations, since the shell is able to withstand weight exceeding the weight of the reptile itself by two hundred times. It became known that the tortoise shell is permeated with nerve endings, so that the animal can react to changes in the environment.

At moments of danger, the turtle draws in the head and limbs, as a result of which they are covered by a shell. Rarely any predator manages to get the animal hidden in the shelter.

Lifespan

The tortoise can rightfully be ranked among the long-livers of the planet. There are cases when the life expectancy of individuals was 250 years. Most of the turtles live in the wild for a little more than a hundred years - the age is also quite impressive.

To find out how many years of a turtle, you need to look closely at her shell. The concentric arrangement of the rings on the scutes will indicate the number of years the animal lived. The method for determining the age of a turtle is similar to that used to determine the lived years of woody plants - according to the annual rings on the trunk.

Moving turtles

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. The speed of their movement depends on the temperature of the environment. In cold weather, animals move slowly, and in hot weather the speed increases and can reach 15 kilometers per hour. In the water, the turtles develop speeds of up to thirty-five kilometers per hour.

Slowness of animals is also connected with the peculiarities of their body structure. Short extremities and a massive tortoise shell do not allow it to crawl with great speed. These animals are the embodiment of slowness and awkwardness. But it is worth acknowledging that these characteristics are more relevant to land species.

Interesting facts about turtles

The special literature contains many surprising facts from the life of turtles. For example, some of their species, living in water bodies, are able to hold their breath for ten hours. This is a record for a group of vertebrates.
Among the representatives of different species of turtles there are animals with aggressive habits. Cayman turtles can watch waterfowl, snakes. There are cases of attacks on them. A large-sized animal can become a victim of a pack of hungry reptiles.

The world of turtles is extremely diverse. There are species that can manage without food for a long time. For example, an elephant tortoise can fast for eighteen months.

Reptiles inhabit all continents of the Earth. Only turtles are found in Antarctica. For reproduction, all species require a warm environment. Published interesting facts about turtles always contain material that tells about the behavior of animals during reproduction. During this period they are able to make transitions over huge distances. Similarly, young reptiles also behave.

Turtles are well tamed and live near a person. It became known that such animals can well distinguish the faces of people who take care of them. At the same time, the person's appearance is perceived visually, and not at the chemical level. In addition, turtles distinguish the intonation of the human voice. With a calm, gentle sound, the turtle stretches its head and listens to the sounds. With cries, sharp or loud voices, the turtles draw their heads under their shells.

Some species are excellent divers. Cases of penetration of animals to a depth of about 1200 meters are recorded. Turtles visited in space. The choice of scientists was justified by the fact that these animals can for a long time dispense with food, use a small amount of oxygen for breathing, and hibernate under unfavorable conditions.

Protection of animals

The greatest harm to turtles in the history of their existence on Earth was caused by man. There are known periods when animals were massively destroyed for the sake of meat, shell or other parts of the body. Seamen, going on a voyage, took on board the ship dozens of live turtles. Animals did not require special care and feeding, and, if necessary, served as a source of dietary meat.

For the preparation of certain recipes of traditional medicine, parts of the body of turtles or products of their vital functions are required. This circumstance also caused unauthorized catching of animals, which, in turn, had a negative impact on the numbers.

Predatory attitude of a person to reptiles led not only to a reduction in their number, but also to the threat of extinction of animals. Urgent measures were required to avoid the extinction of many species. At present, the danger of extinction exists for half of all species of turtles living on Earth.