Terrific tidbits about turtles
Jonathan:
The oldest known turtle in the world at the moment is a tortoise called Jonathan who lives on the South Atlantic Island of St. Helena.
Water or land:
Turtles can be classified as aquatic, semi-aquatic, or semi-terrestrial, depending on how much time they spend in water versus on land.
Turtle diet:
Some turtles are carnivores and feed on other sea creatures, some are herbivores and only eat plant matter like seagrass and algae, while others are omnivores and like to eat both.
Sea turtles:
There are seven species of sea turtle: Hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, olive ridley, green, flatback, and Kemp’s ridley.
Iggy:
The largest turtle in Europe at the moment is Iggy, who lives at the Istanbul Sea Life Aquarium.
Size range:
The smallest species, Kemp’s ridley, are around 20 in (70 cm) long and can weigh up to 90 lbs (40 kg).
Land lovers:
Most sea turtles spend the majority of their lives in the water and only come to land to nest and lay eggs
Expert breath-holders:
Turtles are reptiles, meaning that even species that live in water need to breathe air.
Ancient creatures:
Turtles are some of the longest-surviving creatures in Earth’s history.
Alagba:
In 2019, the royal palace of Nigeria’s Oyo state announced that their resident tortoise, Alagba, had died at the age of 344.