Their bodies and flippers are light, so as they try to move around and cover the eggs with sand, they bounce around, and it looks like they are dancing. The Olive ridley is nicknamed the “dancing turtle” because when the females cover up their eggs, they appear to do a little dance.Kemp’s ridley sea turtle are considered the smallest of the seven species, with leatherbacks being the largest.Although leatherbacks are considered cold-blooded, they have internal mechanisms that allow them to regulate their body temperature, allowing them to survive even in the colder waters of the Arctic circle and the warmer temperatures of tropical beaches.The beaks of sea turtles are made of keratin, which is the same thing our fingernails and rhinoceroses’ horns are made of.For a female sea turtle, migrating and nesting is so tiring that after nesting 2 to 5 times in a season, she will need to take a break for 1 to 3 years to get her strength back to mate again. After mating, female turtles return to the beach where they were born to nest.No other species of sea turtles have been found to show this group nesting behavior. The females of both ridley sea turtles like to nest in large groups called “ arribadas”, which is Spanish for “arrival”.Most sea turtles build their nests at night, but the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle consistently likes to build their nests at night.While typically sea turtles prefer to move at around 1-5mph, when frightened, they have been found to swim up to 23 miles per hour.Although turtles can hold their breath for 45 minutes to one hour during routine activity, they normally dive for 4 to 5 minutes and surface to breathe for a few seconds in between dives.Something humans can’t perceive without technology! They can perceive shorter wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing sea turtles to see UV light. Typically, they are far-sighted in the water and more near-sighted above water. The eyesight of sea turtles is quite good.Sea turtles can stay under water for about 7 hours when the weather is cold, and they are effectively hibernating.They eat so much leafy greens that by the time they are an adult, their fat deposits can be green! Sea grass is a favorite food of green sea turtles.Sea turtles don’t have ear holes! While they do still have ears, they are covered by a thin layer of skin called the tympanum.When they do sleep, they like to hide amongst rocks.When sea turtles sleep, they can slow their heart rate to as slow as 4 beats per minute to conserve oxygen.While land turtles and tortoises can retract into their shells, sea turtles are unable to do so.However, Hawksbill Sea turtles are completely immune to these spikes, so they are considered a great help around coral reefs as less sponges allow for a greater diversity of species to thrive. Many sponges are toxic for other species to eat due to their glass-like spikes that grow within them.Sea turtles fight many odds, and it is estimated that only 1 in 1,000 sea turtle hatchlings survive to adulthood, which can take up to 50 years to reach.Īfter reading through these fun facts about sea turtles, check out the link to our sea turtles lesson and printable worksheets. Sea turtles are wondrous creatures, as you’ll learn as you read the 30 fun facts about sea turtles listed below.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |