Reptiles belong to the category of the oldest inhabitants of the planet. Modern scientists can tell a lot about the life of turtles. In their field of view are species that inhabit the water bodies and land of the Earth today, as well as the ancestors of these animals.
Prehistoric species
Among the descriptions of turtles of ancient species, the ones that inhabited the Earth 220 million years ago are most often found. 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; modern species lack them.
The size of reptiles is also impressive. Scientists have found that the largest tortoise that ever existed on Earth, allegedly had a size of about two meters in diameter, and its mass was more than two tons. Data established by scientists thanks to the found skeleton of an ancient turtle. This ancestor of the turtle was given the name Archelon.
Dimensions and habitat of modern species of turtles
Today, among all representatives of the class, the largest turtle is a leatherback. The size of its shell in diameter can reach two or more meters. This giant animal lives in the seas.
Among land turtles, the elephant is the largest. Its size can be one meter in diameter, and the weight reaches 600 kilograms or more.
The marsh turtle is the smallest in size, they reach only ten centimeters.
The habitat is the most diverse. Turtles have adapted to life in a wide variety of conditions. Its food preferences depend on the place of residence of the animal. Food can be of plant or animal origin.
Shell
Listing interesting facts about turtles, one cannot but pay attention to such a feature of the structure of the animal’s body as the shell. This armor is a reliable defense in many adverse situations, since the shell is able to withstand weight that exceeds the mass of the reptile itself two hundred times. It became known that the tortoise shell is riddled with nerve endings, so the animal can respond to environmental changes.
In times of danger, the tortoise draws its head and limbs in, as a result of which they find themselves covered with shell. Rarely, what predator manages to get the animal hidden in the shelter.
Life span
The tortoise can rightfully be ranked as a group of long-livers of the planet. There are cases when the life expectancy of individual individuals was 250 years. Most turtles in the wild live a little over a hundred years - the age is also very impressive.
To find out how old the tortoise is, you need to carefully look at its shell. The concentric arrangement of the rings on the shields will indicate the number of years lived by the animal. The method for determining the age of a turtle is similar to that used to determine the lived years of woody plants - by tree rings on the trunk.
Turtle Movement
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 is not always the case. The speed of their movement depends on the ambient temperature. In cold time, animals move slowly, and in hot time, the speed increases and can reach 15 kilometers per hour. In water, turtles reach speeds of up to thirty-five kilometers per hour.
The slowness of animals is also associated with structural features of their bodies. Short limbs and massive tortoise shell do not allow her to crawl at high speed. These animals are the personification of slowness and clumsiness. But it is worth recognizing that to a greater extent these characteristics relate to land species.
Interesting facts about turtles
Special literature contains a lot of amazing facts from the life of turtles. For example, some of their species that live in water bodies can hold their breath for ten hours. This is a record for a group of vertebrates.
Among representatives of different types of turtles there are animals with aggressive habits. Cayman turtles can watch for waterfowl, snakes. Cases of their attack on humans are known. A large animal can become a victim of a flock of hungry reptiles.
The world of turtles is unusually diverse. There are species that can do without food for a long time. For example, an elephant tortoise can starve for eighteen months.
Reptiles inhabit all continents of the Earth. Turtles are not found only in Antarctica. For breeding, all species require a warm environment. Interesting published facts about turtles always contain material that tells about the behavior of animals during breeding. During this period, they are able to make transitions over vast distances. Young reptiles behave similarly.
Turtles are well tamed and live next to humans. It became known that such animals can well distinguish the faces of the people who care for them. In this case, the appearance of a person is perceived visually, and not at the chemical level. In addition, turtles distinguish the intonation of the human voice. With his calm, gentle sound, the turtle extends its head and listens to the sounds. When shouting, a sharp or loud sound of the voice, turtles pull their heads under the shell.
Some species are excellent divers. Cases of penetration of animals to a depth of about 1200 meters have been recorded. Turtles also visited space. The choice of scientists was justified by the fact that these animals can do without food for a long time, use a small amount of oxygen for breathing, and, under adverse conditions, hibernate.
