The gender of the turtle is determined by temperature. If they did, they would run out of air much faster. While underwater, turtles don’t swim very fast unless they are threatened. The leatherback turtle can swim at speeds up to 22 miles per hour! In comparison, Michael Phelps’s swimming speed has been capped at about 6 miles per hour. If you raced a turtle against Michael Phelps, the turtle would win!Įven though we usually see them bobbing about in the water, if they have to make a swim for it, they’re likely to get away. However, if a turtle is stressed, for example, from getting stuck in a fishing net, it can use its oxygen faster and even drown within minutes. Turtles are smart enough to return to the surface when they need air. When a sea turtle is resting or sleeping, it can stay underwater for 4-7 hours. One species, the loggerhead turtle, has been observed at staying underwater for 10 hours! It also depends on the location and the temperature of the water. But of course, with hundreds of species, this can vary. In general, turtles can hold their breath for 30 minutes. Turtles can drown.Įven though they seem to stay underwater for huge amounts of time, turtles can definitely drown. It is only if the turtles have no other option that they might lay their eggs in the water, but that is only as a last resort.
Turtles that live on land, like box turtles, find moist soil in forests or marshlands. River turtles will usually lay their eggs near to where they live and eat on the shore. Of course, their laying habits may be a little different, but all turtles lay their eggs on land.įor example, leatherback turtles will migrate thousands of miles just to lay their eggs! They will travel back to the same beach that they were born on and lay their own eggs. This might not seem THAT crazy – until you take into account that there are over 300 species of turtles! Every species of turtle lays its eggs on land. The leatherback turtle is the most widely distributed turtle, venturing into the Arctic Circle and as far south as the bottom of New Zealand. Sea turtles can sometimes end up in the European Arctic, but you won’t find any in Antarctica. While most of the species are found in southeastern America and South Asia, they can still be found in other parts of the world.
Let’s find out some facts about these reptilian cuties that will make you love them even more! Antarctica is the only continent that turtles don’t live on.īeing the adaptive creatures they are, turtles can survive in pretty much any condition. Some people like to keep them as pets, if it’s a tiny turtle, or a huge tortoise, there is pretty much no exception. Turtles are some of the cutest creatures in the sea!
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