Endangered animals > Info > Facts about sea turtles

Facts about sea turtles

Sea turtles have fascinated many turtles throughout the world. But, do you know much about them? While there are many different conservation acts throughout the globe to protect this endangered animal; not much information is available for the average, every-day Joe who may want to learn about this beautiful creature. Fortunately, we have put together some facts about sea turtles.

This species of turtle is known to inhabit marine or brackish water environments. They sport four long paddle-like flippers that make them excellent swimmers; however, there is a drawback to having flippers. They aren’t able to easily walk on land due to their flipper-like feet. Another swimming aiding perk is their smooth shell.

One thing that many people know about sea turtles is that they migrate thousands of miles between cooler waters to feed. However, some of these migrations are met with reproduction at the end; where female sea turtles burry their eggs in the sand. Fascinating!

A few interesting facts:

• Most Sea Turtles are nomadic creatures and can travel about 1,300 miles in a single day
• The leatherback sea turtle has the longest migration of all Sea Turtle species
• The Hawksbill Sea Turtle is the most commonly seen sea turtl. The name comes from their hawk shaped bill
• Hawksbill sea turtles are the most endangered sea turtle species
• Sea Turtles can stay submerged underwater for as long as 5 hours. Being below the surface slows down the sea turtles heart rate in order to conserve oxygen. Up to 10 minutes can elapse in between the heart beats.
• The deep green sea turtle is frequently killed for its beautiful skin.
• The Hawksbill sea turtle is killed for its shells and is used to produce perfumes and cosmetics. .
• The Leatherback turtle's staple food is the jelly fish, but they also enjoy a variety of crabs, sea-lice, and mollusks.
  

Resources for Turtle migration, Ocean species and Endangered animals