Turtle

Turtle species have existed for over 200 million years, surviving alongside dinosaurs and adapting to ponds, deserts, and open oceans. A turtle’s shell is part of its skeleton: the carapace on top and the plastron below fuse with the spine and ribs. Keratin scutes on the shell provide added armor. Unlike lizards, turtles cannot leave their shells, but they can retract their head and limbs to avoid predators. Their beak-like mouths slice plants, crush crabs, or snag jellyfish depending on the species.

Sea turtles, such as green, loggerhead, and leatherback turtles, migrate thousands of miles each year. Guided by invisible cues from Earth’s magnetic field and chemical signals in the water, they navigate from feeding grounds to the sandy beaches where they hatched decades earlier. Females haul out at night, dig nests with their flippers, and lay over 100 eggs before covering them with sand. Temperature determines the sex of hatchlings: warmer nests produce more females. After two months, hatchlings scramble to the ocean, dodging gulls and crabs.

Freshwater turtles inhabit rivers, lakes, and marshes. Painted turtles bask on logs to warm their cold-blooded bodies, while snapping turtles rest on pond bottoms waiting for fish to swim by. Desert tortoises dig burrows that shelter them and other animals from heat. Many turtles breathe air but can extract small amounts of oxygen through specialized tissues in their throat or cloaca during winter hibernation underwater.

Turtles face serious threats from habitat loss, plastic pollution, and accidental capture in fishing gear. Coastal development removes nesting beaches, and lights from hotels disorient hatchlings. Conservationists run beach patrols to relocate nests, install predator-proof cages, and guide hatchlings to the surf. Turtle excluder devices on fishing nets allow turtles to escape, while wildlife hospitals treat injured individuals and tag them for release.

As cultural symbols, turtles represent patience and longevity in folklore from Asia to the Americas. Students build model nests, test how sand temperature affects hatching, or participate in river cleanups to protect turtle habitats. By respecting nesting beaches, disposing of trash properly, and supporting wildlife-friendly seafood, communities can ensure that turtles continue roaming rivers and oceans for centuries to come.