Green Sea turtles, classified under the class Reptilian, are the creatures that evolved on land but later migrated to sea. As this species originated millions of years ago, they saw evolution of numerous other species that inhabited earth long time back. There are several interesting green turtle sea facts that are quite interesting to know.
Dont miss observing these awesome creatures in diving trips.
These creatures are cold-blooded which means that they keep their bodies warm by taking the heat from surroundings rather than producing on their own. Being reptiles, their body is covered with scales. In addition to it, they have a hard protecting shell that they use for their protection from predators. Their skin is green in color. Depending upon their location, these turtles are of two types. One of the interesting green turtle sea facts is that they weigh more than 300 kegs, more than any sea turtles of the world.
As these turtles attain adulthood, they turn herbivores feeding on sea grasses and algae. Most of the turtles feed on crabs and jellyfish. Being cold-blooded animals, they warm their bodies by swimming in shallow waters. Many a times they shift to land to have a sunbath. There are also many green turtle sea facts that are related to the mating of these animals. The mating takes place in shallow waters and occurs after about two years.
The front legs are modified to act as flippers that aid in swimming. These flippers help in swimming at high speeds in water. The turtles have the capacity to store large quantities of oxygen in their blood which enables them to survive them without breathing for more than two hours. The salt glands situated near eyes are used for extracting excessive salts in order to maintain water-retention balance. Their necks are short and their bodies can grow up to 5 feet. But some species can grow up to a height of more than 6 feet.
The green turtles have a long life-span, many live up to eighty years. This distinction has made them one of the longest living animals of the world. These creatures are endangered as the indiscriminate hunting has reduced their population to a very great extent. They are hunted for shell and eggs. The shells are often used for ornamental purposes. Their skin is used as meat; the fat of their body is used for producing oil.
Some other green turtle sea facts are related to their extinction. As they lay their eggs on land and the females have to return to sea water immediately after that, the eggs are unprotective. Human interference in their habitats has shrunk their population considerably. Water-pollution is another factor responsible for drastic reduction in their numbers. Sometimes, debris is mistaken as food by these aquatic animals which can cause choking and death.
The nesting and feeding habits of these turtles varies depending upon their location in world. An important characteristic of Hawaiian sea turtle is that they regularly come on land to enjoy basking in sun and protecting themselves from being eaten away by marine predators.
