This is important because, unlike other creatures with hard exteriors, like armadillos, a turtle shell is actually part of the bone structure of the animal, not scales. Over millions of years, the rib bones began to get harder and larger. If you’ve ever seen a turtle in water, you can see how they move much better than on land, a benefit of having a buoyant shell with them. These bones also helped with buoyancy - the ability to move up and down in water. This is why we find turtles in nearly every corner of the world today.Įarly versions of a turtle’s shell were large, hard ribs that not only protected the ancestor of the turtle, the Pappochelys. Many people now agree that turtles came primarily from the lizard and snake families around the time that all land on Earth was one big continent known as Pangea. To understand how they managed to evolve their hard exterior, scientists and paleontologists had first determined which animal “family” ancient turtles came from: snakes, birds, lizards or even dinosaurs. But how did it get there in the first place? It’s armor that moves with turtles and protects them from animals that want to make them lunch. The benefit of a turtle’s shell is clear. So why do turtles carry their home with them wherever they go? Are they hiding pizza in there, or is that just what the cartoon version of turtles makes us believe? For answers, we turn to the wonderful people at The Smithsonian. Scientific Name: Natator depressus Status: Vulnerable Size: 3 ft long, weighing 200lbs Diet: Feeding on seas cucumbers, sea pens, soft corals, and jellies Range: Found only around Australia Fun Fact: This species is named after the flatness of their shells.Turtles come in all shapes and sizes, yet they all have one thing uniquely in common … a shell. Also having the greatest number of scutes (shell scales) of any sea turtle. Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea Status: Endangered Size: 2-2½ ft long, weighing 75-100lbs Diet: Feeding on crabs, lobsters, fish, and jellies Range: Found mainly in the Pacific and lower Atlantic Ocean Fun Fact: This species is named after the olive green color of their shell. The two species NOT found in Florida water are the Olive Ridley and Flatback sea turtles. However, in 1978, there were only 500 nesting females recorded. In 1947, over 42,000 Kemps simultaneously nesting during one of these arribadas. Scientific Name: Lepidochelys kempii Status: Critically Endangered Size: 2-2½ ft long, weighing 75-100lbs Diet: Feeding on crabs, lobster, fish, and jellies Range: Primarily found in the Gulf of Mexico and occasionally in the Atlantic and Caribbean Ocean Fun Fact: They have a unique nesting behavior called “arribada,” where they nest together in broad daylight. Scientific Name: Eretmochelys imbricata Status: Critically Endangered Size: 2-3 ft long, weighing 100-150lbs Diet: Mainly feeding on sponges and small invertebrates Range: Found in tropical waters – preferably near coral reefs where sponges are in abundance Fun Fact: “Tortoise shell” materialistic items are harvested from Hawksbill sea turtles because of their unique and beautiful shell pattern. This allows them to expand and contract their bodies to withstand the changes in water pressure during their diving patterns. Scientific Name: Dermochelys coriacea Status: Critically Endangered Size: 4-6 ft long, weighing up to 2,000lbs Diet: Feeding primarily on jellies Range: Found worldwide – preferably deep waters up to 4,000 ft deep Fun Fact: This species is the only one to have a “soft shell.” It is made up of cartilage versus hard-shell sea turtles being made up of keratin. Fun Fact: Their jaw muscles have a similar bit force to a White Shark – approximately 900 psi. Individuals have tracked to be migrating over 7,500 miles from nesting beaches in Japan to feeding grounds off the coast of Mexico. Scientific Name: Caretta caretta Status: Threatened Size: 2-4 ft long, weighing 200-350lbs Diet: Feeding on hard-shelled invertebrates, crabs, lobsters, and conch Range: Mainly found in temperate waters. They eat so much seagrass, that the tissue and fat inside of their bodies turn green overtime. Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas Status: Endangered Size: 3-5 ft long, weighing 200-500lbs Diet: Primarily herbivores – feeding on seagrass and algae Range: Found worldwide, primarily in tropical waters Fun Fact: Like their name suggests, their shells are not actually green. Five of those seven are found in Florida – Green, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Hawksbill, and Kemp’s Ridley. Throughout the entire ocean, there are only 7 living species of sea turtles.
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