Happy World Turtle Day!

Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 12:55 pm

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Turtles have been on this planet for over 200 million years.
However, in a relatively short time (since the rise of humans) they have become
threatened – 44% of known turtle species are officially considered critically
endangered or vulnerable to extinction.

Today, 23 May, is World Turtle Day. We’ve dived
in to The
New Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians and discovered some amazing facts
about these ancient creatures – what’s your favorite fact about turtles from the five below?

1. A turtle’s armor shell is unique in the animal kingdom,
   made of two parts (the back and front) it generally comprises around 50-60
   bones.
2. Most adult turtles and tortoises have a shell length of at
   least 13cm (5in). The world’s smallest species are the Speckled cape tortoise,
   Flattened musk turtle, and Bog turtle, whereas the largest living turtle is the
   Leatherback seaturtle, whose shell reaches up to 244cm (96in).
3. Although turtles are slow on land, due to their massive
   shells, when they enter the water they can reach speeds of over 30km/hour
   (18.6mph).
4. Some species of turtles migrate over 4,500km (that’s 2,800
   miles) to make their nests – which is like travelling the length of the United Kingdom 4.5
   times. Whereas others have nesting frenzies, when over 200,000 females nest on
   the same small beach over two days.
5. Some aquatic species of turtles don’t just breathe using
   their lungs – some can also respire through their skin, the lining of the
   throat, and through thin-walled sacs, or bursae, in the cloaca.

Images: 1) Squirtle, by mem0. CC-BY-2.0 via Flickr. 2) Turtle, by Hiroaki Home. Public domain via Pixabay.

Remember to appreciate some turtles today! ?  -Emily

Turtles are amazing animals. Here are some reasons why ^