NUTTY ABOUT NATURE

“Oh, the things he Tortoise”, SEA TURTLES …part 1

I realize I’m taking liberties by insinuating that a Sea Turtle is a Tortoise because, although they are both in the order Testudines, the Tortoise is a land lubber and the Sea Turtle (or Marine Turtle) lives primarily in the water. However, I can never pass up an opportunity for a play on words.

Sea Turtles are ancient reptiles that have been around for over 100 million years!  There are currently 7 species swimming in our oceans and they range in size from 30” to 6.5’ and weigh 80 to 2,000 lbs. Wow !

Their gourmet diet consists of jellyfish, seaweed, crabs, shrimp, algae, clams and the occasional sea urchin (a bit crunchy for me, but the Sea Turtle has a powerful jaw and can crack those shells lickity split ).

I was amazed to learn that the Sea Turtle cannot retract their head or legs into their shell like other turtles, but their shell still provides enough of a deterrent to predators that they enjoy a long life span of about 80 years.

Although the Sea Turtle breathes air, they frequently spend 5 minutes under water diving for food and can, in fact, stay under for up to 5 hours by slowing their heart rate !

If you were a Sea Turtle, you would be able to choose the sex of your offspring. On average, 70 to 190 eggs are laid in a hole that Mama Turtle digs on the beach and depending on the temperature of the sand the hatchlings will be predominantly male or female. Once hatched, the babies take about a week to dig their way out of their sand nest. They make their way to the ocean at night and live on their own until they mature and mate.

Sea Turtles embody longevity, independence and a sea-faring, carefree lifestyle.

In the next post, we’ll take a look at Sea Turtles in home decor.

Till next time ….. BB

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