These amazing reptiles unlike anyone else have been living on our planet since the time of the dinosaurs. Turtles are among the oldest creatures whose remains were found in the Mesozoic. But reptiles differ not only in this, some of them are incredible in size, and they are also long-livers. Some individuals can reach 300 years of age. Turtles are terrestrial and marine, and in each species it is possible to distinguish representatives of especially large sizes, sometimes even frightening and mysterious, hiding from the eyes of a person.
The largest tortoise in the world
The largest living sea turtle is a leatherback turtle, whose body reaches two meters in length and weighs more than 600 kilograms, but individuals weighing more than 900 kilograms have been recorded. They got their name because of the special structure of the shell, which in its structure differs from others in that it does not consist of horn plates, but of layers of thick skin resembling scales. The range of this species is the tropical regions of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. Water for these turtles is a natural environment in which they are located almost constantly and on land, because of their vulnerability, they rise only at night or for laying eggs. According to scientists, the largest sea turtles live deep at the bottom of water bodies and therefore most often remain invisible. Now leatherback turtles are threatened with extinction and are under US protection. But the chance of increasing the population is still great, because in one breeding season a female leather turtle can lay up to 700 eggs, while the period between seasons is from one to three years.
Green sea turtle
One of the largest representatives of marine species, after leathery, is a green turtle. The reptile got its name due to its corresponding color. It can be represented from light green to olive, but there is also a dark brown color with light stripes. The largest tortoise grows to one and a half meters in length, and the weight of some individuals reaches from 200 to 500 kilograms. The life span of green turtles is up to 70 years. This turtle is also called soup due to its tasty and tender meat. Due to the fact that the meat and eggs of these individuals are particularly popular, their numbers began to decline significantly, and therefore, in many countries, hunting for soup turtles is strictly prohibited.
Giant land turtles
There are a lot of varieties of land turtles, their main habitat is deserts and savannahs, but there are also species that prefer a humid tropical climate. Ground turtles differ from sea relatives in their clumsiness and slowness, their main protection against enemies is the shell. The largest land tortoises are elephant and gigantic.
Elephant (Galapagos) tortoise
The habitat of this species of reptile is limited only to the Galapagos Islands. Due to the threat of extinction of the elephant tortoise, a reserve has been opened on the islands, and this species of reptile is protected by UNESCO. The decrease in the number of turtles was facilitated by the use of tortoise meat by humans for cooking, as well as the import of alien animals into the habitat. The main danger to turtles is goats, which with their hoof pierce the carapace of reptiles and feed on their meat. Galapagos turtles can grow up to two meters in length and weigh more than 400 kilograms. Their main difference from other species is their elongated paws and neck. The lifespan of these huge turtles reaches 170 years.
Gigantic (Seychelles) tortoise
The giant tortoise is considered the rarest among the land and lives exclusively on the island of Aldabra in the Indian Ocean. Aldabra Atoll belongs to the state of Seychelles, hence the second name of this species of reptile. They grow up to about 120 centimeters in length and weigh up to 300 kilograms. Among these individuals, the largest representative was found - a huge turtle named Goliath. His body is 130 centimeters in length and weighs more than 380 kilograms. These turtles feed mainly on plant foods and sometimes survive to 200 years of age. They have a high level of endurance, and are able to do without food from a few weeks to a year. There is even a story about how, thanks to Seychelles turtles, the ancient sailors did not die of starvation during their expeditions, stuffing full holds with walking "canned goods". Also, in females of these turtles, the ability to control the population size was noted, on the density of which the number of eggs laid by it depends.
Pond slider
One of the most popular types of water turtles, which is grown at home. An unpretentious pet is kept in the aquarium, and in return it pleases its owner with its unique color. The turtle feels comfortable both in water and on land. The range in the wild is shallow ponds and swamps in Europe, Asia and North Africa. These individuals come from eastern North America. In natural conditions, they fall into short hibernation, at home while maintaining a comfortable temperature, they can do without it. The period of adaptation in the red-eared turtles does not affect the breeding process, cubs are born about 3 centimeters in size. An individual grows during the first ten years of life. The size of the largest red-eared tortoise reaches a maximum of 50 centimeters, but this length is mainly characteristic of turtles living in the wild. At home, they can grow to a maximum of 30-32 centimeters, depending on how they will be looked after.
