The Life of a
Turtle
By: Ammon Kamauu Table of Contents Turtles vs Tortoises………………………………………………… 1 Eat Up……………………………………………………………………. 2 Help Turtles…………………………………………………………… 3 All Turtle Kind………………………………………………………… 4 Life Strong Turtles………………………………………………….. 5/6 Glossary…………………………………………………………………. 7 Turtles vs Tortoises Turtles and tortoises are alike in several ways. They are both reptiles and they both have hard shells. They also both look very similar. Both can hide in their shells. Now how are turtles different? Even thou they are similar they have many differences. First, turtles love the water. Some turtles like salt water and some like fresh water. Second, turtles swim in water. Finally, turtles’ homes are in the water. Now how are tortoises different? Tortoises also have differences. First, tortoises walk on land. Second, tortoises do not have webbed feet. Finally, tortoises live on land. Sea turtle swimming in the sea. Fun fact Turtles and tortoises are both reptiles! 1 A tortoise out on land. Eat Up Most sea turtles are omnivores. Some turtles start out as carnivores and then become herbivores as they get older. Leatherbacks eat mostly sea jellies. Hawksbills eat sea animals that they find in the coral. Sea turtles eat fish, crabs, and sponges. They also eat sea cucumbers, shrimp and plants found in the ocean like seaweed. Some sea turtles have special adaptations to help them get and eat their food. Many of the adaptations turtles have for eating are in their jaw. The Hawksbill turtle has a narrow head and jaw with a narrow angle so it can reach into the coral for food. Leatherbacks jaws are like scissors. Green sea turtles have serrated jaws that help them eat plants. I hope you had fun learning about the things that turtles eat. Fun fact Not all eight species eat the same food A fish that turtles eat.
A crab that turtles eat. 2 Help Turtles Turtles are endangered. Some are critically endangered. Many are extinct. Turtles are dying because of people. People throw trash into the water, which pollutes the water and causes turtles to die. Turtles also get caught in peoples fishing nets. Some people also catch turtles on purpose because they like to eat them or use them for trade. Turtles are dying. We need to help them so they won’t become extinct. Here are some ways we can help them. We should stop polluting. Also, we should not capture them. Don’t kill turtles. They are harmless and friendly sea creatures. We should also not buy things that use the endangered turtles. Fun fact Turtles are b ecoming extinct! A turtle swims in the ocean and does not walk on land because they want to get away from danger. 3 All Kinds of Turtles Have you ever wondered how many turtle species there are? If you have than you’ve come to the right place! There are more than one-­‐thousand known species. One of the most common known species is sea turtle. There are 8 types of sea turtles. They are all adapted for swimming. One of the most common sea turtles is the green sea turtle. The green sea turtle can grow to be at least five feet. A green sea turtle can also live to 80-­‐years-­‐old. Did you know that some green sea turtles weigh 700 pounds? You can find green sea turtles in tropical places. The leatherback turtle is the other most common sea turtle. Leatherbacks do not have a hard shell like the other types of sea turtles do. They live in cold water and can dive deep into the ocean. Some can even dive 3,900 feet! Leatherbacks are the biggest sea turtle. Fun fact There are eight types of sea turtles. Green sea turtles love the water. A leatherback is huge. 4 The Cycle Of A Turtle A mother turtle lays her eggs on a warm beach. Those eggs hatch in 45 to 70 days. Hatchlings come out of the eggs. Once the hatchling comes out of the egg it crawls to the water. These turtles stay close to the shore until they reach adulthood. Reaching adulthood can take 10 to 50 years depending on the type of turtle. When they are adults they go further into the ocean in order to get food. They also find other turtles to mate with. The females then go back to the beach to lay more eggs. The cycle then starts again. A turtle can swim shallow in the ocean. 5 Don’t you just like a turtle’s cycle? Well that’s the end of the book. I hope you had a good time learning about a turtle. A turtle always starts off little. Fun fact A turtle egg will hatch within 40 to 70 days! The cycle of a turtle.
6 Glossary differences -­‐ different not the same species – a group of living things that breed together endangered – to be in danger leatherback – a type of turtle cycle – events that happen in the same order over and over again omnivores – animals that eat meat and plants carnivores – animals that eat meat herbivores – animals that eat plants adaptations – a body part or feature or a behavior that helps a living thing survive and function better in it’s environment serrated – having a jagged edge hatchling – baby turtle 7