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Sea turtles , also call marine polo-neck , look like regular turtles , but have fin instead of leg . They have been on Earth for more than 100 million years , accord to theWorld Wildlife Federation(WWF ) . This makes them one of the oldest animal families on the planet .
Size
There are seven species of sea polo-neck and some are much with child than others . The largest sea turtle is the leatherback . It grows up to 7 feet ( 2 meters ) long and weighs up to 2,000 lbs . ( 900 kilogram ) . The largest leatherback turtle ever found was 8.5 feet ( 2.6 m ) long and weighed 2,020 lbs . ( 916 kg ) , according toNational Geographic .
The smallest sea turtle is the Kemp ’s Ridley turtle . It grows to about 2 feet ( 65 cm ) long and consider 100 lbs . ( 45 kilo ) .
Habitat
Sea polo-neck hold out all over the world . The Kemp ’s Ridley turtle typically endure in the Gulf of Mexico , but can be find far north as Nova Scotia . Flatback sea turtleneck live in the sea waters around Australia , while the leatherback turtle coinage makes their menage in every ocean on the planet . Green sea turtles and loggerhead ocean turtles run to flummox to tropical and subtropical coastal water . [ Images : Loggerhead turtle swimming to safety ]
Diet
Sea turtles are carnivores , which means they eat on meat , though their diet varies depending on species . They eat shrimp , seaweed , crabs , jellyfish , snails , sponge , algae and mollusc .
Habits
There is n’t much known about the habits of sea turtles . Most sea turtle expend their lives alone until they mate . Some species , though , will rest and feed with others .
At couple fourth dimension , females and male person migrate to the beach where they were born , follow the magnetized field of study of the Earth as their usher . The migrations can be over 1,400 miles ( 2,253 kilometers ) long .
Offspring
ocean turtles lie their testicle in bunches shout a clutch . The temperatures of the Baroness Dudevant determine the sex of the turtle . If the sand is below 85 degrees Fahrenheit ( 30 degrees Celsius ) , the egg will turn out to be mostly male , but if the temperature is above 85 F ( 30 C ) the egg will mostly be distaff , according to theDefenders of Wildlifeorganization .
A hold may have 70 to 190 eggs in it . The clutch is laid in a hole dug by the mother . Once the eggs are laid , she covers them with sand and get going back into the sea .
As soon as the eggs hatch , the child commence digging out of their fix . This process can take up to a week . Once free , the babe turtles rush to the sea , and may never see their mother or father in their life-time , which can variegate from 30 to 100 years , count on the species .
Is climate change good or bad news for sea turtles?
Classification/taxonomy
This is the scientific classification of ocean turtles concord to theIntegrated Taxonomic Information System(ITIS ):
realm : Animalia Subkingdom : Bilateria Infrakingdom : Deuterostomia Phylum : Chordata Subphylum : Vertebrata Infraphylum : Gnathostomata Superclass : Tetrapoda Class : Reptilia Order : Testudines Suborder : Cryptodira Superfamily : Chelonioidea crime syndicate : Cheloniidae Subfamilies : Carettinae , Cheloniinae Genera : Caretta(loggerhead sea turtles),Eretmochelys(Hawksbill sea turtles),Lepidochelys(Ridley sea turtles),Chelonia(green ocean turtles),Natator(flatback polo-neck )
Conservation status
Sea turtles are categorized either as vulnerable or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ’s Red List . TheKemp ’s Ridley ocean turtleis lean as critically endangered , for example , while the leatherback sea polo-neck is listed as vulnerable .
harmonise to the Defenders of Wildlife organization , oil spill , habit change have by artificial lighting , home ground loss due to coastal growth , capture in commercial fisheries , getting entangled in nautical dust , human poaching and beach driving are some of the biggest dangers to ocean turtles .
Other facts
ocean turtles can stay under water supply for up to five hours .
The leatherback sea turtle has been recorded swimming as fast as 22 mph ( 35 km / h ) , concord to theSan Diego Zoo .
Loggerhead sea turtles drink salt water and eliminate excess salt through secretory organ by their eyes , which makes them look like they are crying .
A loggerhead sea turtle heads toward the water in Melbourne Beach, Florida.
unseasoned flatback sea turtles kip on the surface of the water .
Additional resources
Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings at the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia.
