Curiosities Of Turtles And Tortoises

Do you know that...? Tortoises can live for an average of 150 years. One of the oldest tortoises in the world was Charles Darwin's tortoise, and reached 176 years old. But in China, another one has been found that seems to be, in the opinion of some veterinarians, 500 years, being the oldest reptile in the world. The biggest tortoise found weighted 752 Kg. Photo by Minds-Eye Tortoises have a poor sense of hearing, but their sight, touch and smell are outstanding. They don't have teeth, and swallow their food without chewing it. One of the favorite foods of sea turtles are jellyfishes. There is a tortoise that segregates a yellow liquid with a very nasty smell that frightens away its predators. These animals change their skin and even their shell, but they do it by parts. Their spine and ribs are joined to their shell. Tortoises are one of the most ancient reptiles, much more than lizards and snakes. In their origins, tortoises where land animals, and after 50 million years some of them became water animals. Photo by Motleypixel Sea turtles are in danger of extinction, because of the trade of their shells, the plundering of their eggs, or the nets of sailors. Currently, there are only 7 species of sea turtles left. Some tortoises hibernate between 3 and 8 months per year. Some species of these animals lay only one egg, while others lay more than 140. -Emma Alvarez- © 2008 by Emma Alvarez. Link to this post without copying the text. Some Related Posts: If you liked this post, subscribe to Emma Alvarez Site or give yourself a gift Stumble it! Add me to your del.icio.us network