Just the Facts: Sea Turtles
Just the Facts: Sea Turtles
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Sea turtles are reptiles. They are cold-blooded.
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Adult sea turtles can weigh from 150 – 1000 pounds!
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Sea turtles can live up to 80 years.
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They eat plants, jellyfish, shrimp, and clams.
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Sea turtles swim and live alone. They eat and rest all day.
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Sea turtles breathe air. They can stay underwater for five hours!
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There are 7 kinds, or species, of sea turtles.
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Flatback
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Green
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Hawksbill
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Kemp’s Ridley
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Leatherback
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Loggerhead
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Olive Ridley
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All 7 types of sea turtle are “threatened” or “endangered.”
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Green, Loggerhead, Leatherback, and Kemp’s Ridley turtles swim in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Female turtles go back to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs.
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The females dig a deep hole on the beach. They lay 100-120 eggs in the nest.
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The eggs hatch after 55-80 days.
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The baby turtles crawl FAST to the water.
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Raccoons, ghost crabs, seagulls, and foxes like to eat baby turtles.
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Scientists are worried about sea turtles becoming extinct.
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Scientists are asking fishermen to help them protect turtles.
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The scientists put a radio transmitter on the turtle’s shell. The radio sends out beeps. The beeps are tracked by a satellite. This tells the scientists where turtles are swimming.
Think About…
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How do land and sea turtles look different? Why do you think they look so different?
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Why is it hard to count how many sea turtles are in the oceans?
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Why do you think that sea turtles are endangered?
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What do people do to try to protect sea turtles?