Turtles are the oldest reptiles living on the planet. However, urbanization, forest fires and other anthropogenic factors can lead to their disappearance.
1. Turtles appeared about 200 million years ago, long before snakes, lizards and crocodiles. They existed during the time of the dinosaurs and outlived them.
2. Originally, turtles lived in swamps and were semi-aquatic reptiles. Subsequently, this allowed them to quickly adapt to life both in water and on land.
3. Like other reptiles, turtles are forced to constantly regulate their body temperature, so in regions with cold climates, they hibernate.
4. Turtle shell is a unique phenomenon in the animal kingdom. It consists of two interconnected parts. Its upper part protects the turtle's back, the lower one covers the belly. Together they form a kind of armor, consisting of approximately 60 bones. Thickened skin on the back, covered with a thick carapace, is connected to the ribs and spine. In the process of evolution, the tortoise shell changed depending on the reptile's lifestyle. In land representatives, it has become lighter due to thinning of the bones. In sea turtles, the shell is softer and more elastic, which makes it easier to move in the water.
5. Because of the hard shell, the turtle cannot breathe the way mammals do - through the movement of the chest. Inhalation and exhalation, accompanied by a change in the volume of the lungs, are provided by stretching and contracting the front or hind limbs associated with the breathing apparatus with special muscles. Aquatic turtles also breathe through the skin, the walls of the throat, and through the membranous anal sacs that open into the cloaca.
6. The mouth cavity of the turtle is also special: it has no teeth, instead of them there are pointed horny plates, so the mouth partly resembles a bird's beak.
7. Most species of turtles live in water, mainly in the sea, but also in fresh waters.
8. Land turtles cover no more than a few hundred meters in one hour. But marine representatives move much faster thanks to their flipper-like forelimbs. So, the speed of a huge leatherback turtle reaches 36 km / h.
9. The incredible sluggishness of the land turtles explains their long lifespan. They live more than 100 years, and the marine ones are almost half as long.
10. The smallest turtles do not exceed 10-12 cm in length. A striking example is the terrestrial Cape speckled or red-eared turtles. Their giant congener lives on the Galapagos Islands and reaches a length of 1.4 m. The leatherback turtle is considered the record holder, which can reach a length of 2 m and a weight of almost a ton. Large species grow throughout life, while the growth of small ones stops after a certain time.
