🐢 10 characteristics of turtles that you may not have known

I've seen them in documentaries, in cartoons, on the beach clumsily crawling toward the sea. Turtles have always seemed like creatures from another time to me. And they are. They've inhabited the Earth for more than 200 million years,which means they walked (well, crawled) alongside the dinosaurs.

Today I invite you to discover ten fascinating characteristics of these calm, resilient reptiles, full of secrets. Ready to be surprised?

1️⃣ Shell: Their Living Armor

It seems obvious, but... did you know that a turtle's shell is part of its skeleton?

It's not a "shell" like an egg. It's made of bone and is fused with the ribs and spine. This means that a turtle can't break out of its shell (although cartoons say otherwise).

The shell has two parts: the carapace (the hard, arched upper part) and the plastron (the lower part, which protects the belly). Both are covered in keratin scales, the same substance as our fingernails.

2️⃣ Extreme Longevity

Did you know that some turtles can live more than 150 years?

The longest-lived turtle on record was Adwaita, a giant Aldabra tortoise believed to have lived for nearly 255 years. He died in 2006 in a zoo in India.

This longevity has led to turtles being culturally associated with wisdom, patience, and eternity. (And if you think about it, their pace of life seems to tell us something about living unhurriedly).

3️⃣ They don't have teeth (but watch your beak)

No, they don't chew like we do. Turtles lack teeth, but they do have a very sharp, horny beak.

With it, they can cut, tear, and even crush food. Some species, like snapping turtles, can inflict very painful bites. So if you ever have one nearby... it's best to admire it from a distance.

4️⃣ They're reptiles, but... many live in the water.

When we think of reptiles, we imagine dry creatures, under the sun. However, many turtles are aquatic or semi-aquatic.

There are freshwater turtles (like the pond turtles), sea turtles (which only set foot on land to lay eggs) and land turtles (like the famous Galapagos giant tortoises).

And how do they breathe underwater? They don't have gills, of course, but they can hold their breath for long periods. Some species even absorb oxygen through the cloaca, a fascinating and little-known adaptation.

5️⃣ An amazing sense of direction

Sea turtles are born on the beach, but they jump into the ocean and disappear for years. However, decades later... They return to the same beach where they were born to lay their eggs!

How do they do it? Through a mysterious “internal map” based on the Earth's magnetic field. A biological GPS with millimeter precision that scientists are still trying to completely decipher.

6️⃣ Temperature determines sex

A truly amazing feature. In many species of turtles, The sex of the young depends on the temperature of the nest during incubation.

Generally:

• Temperatures higher → more females.

• Temperatures lower → more males.

This phenomenon, known as temperature-dependent sexual determination, could be affected by climate change. If temperatures continue to rise, some populations could see their sexual balance altered. An urgent ecological challenge.

7️⃣ Sense of hearing and vision adapted to their environment

Although they do not have external ears, turtles yes they can hear. They perceive vibrations through the ground or water, and low-frequency sounds.

His eyesight, on the other hand, is excellent. They can distinguish colors and shapes clearly, which helps them both find food and avoid predators.

(I confess I've stared into a turtle's eyes more than once. There's something hypnotic about it, isn't there?)

8️⃣ They're omnivorous... or not so much

Turtles' diets vary greatly by species:

• Some are strict herbivores,like many land turtles.

• Others are carnivores,especially in their juvenile stages.

• Many are omnivores, eating whatever is available: plants, insects, fish, algae...In the ecosystems they inhabit,

they are key to maintaining balance, and they also help disperse seeds through their feces.9️⃣

Reproduction is quite a natural spectacle. Courtship can last for hours, even days. And although they may seem slow and peaceful,

turtles can be surprisingly aggressive during the competition for a mate. After mating, the female digs a hole in the sand or soil with her hind legs, lays her eggs (between 50 and 200, depending on the species), and carefully covers them.

And here's something shocking:

the hatchlings are born alone, without help from their parents, and must survive from the very first minute.🔟

Endangered, but still in time Many turtle species are in danger of extinction.

Poaching ,habitat loss ,plastic pollution , and climate change are some of the threats they face.

Every year, millions of sea turtles die from entanglement in nets or from ingesting plastics they mistake for jellyfish. Others, like tortoises, are illegally captured for the pet trade.

Are we still in time to save them?
Yes. But it requires awareness, strong legislation, and, above all, education.

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