Fun Turtle Facts for Kids

A turtle carries one of the most unusual skeletons in the animal world.

• ●The upper shell is called the carapace; the lower shell is the plastron.
• ●A turtle's ribs and backbone connect to its shell.
• ●Most hard-shelled turtles have keratin scales called scutes covering the shell's bone.
• ●Turtles have beak-like jaws instead of teeth.

Turtle bodies carry clues about where and how they live.

• ●Sea turtles use long flippers to move through the ocean.
• ●Many freshwater turtles have webbed feet that work well in water and on shore.
• ●Tortoises usually have sturdy, less-webbed feet for walking on land.
• ●Turtles live in oceans, fresh water, forests, grasslands, and deserts.

There is no single turtle menu—different species eat very different meals.

• ●Green sea turtles mainly eat sea grasses and algae as adults.
• ●Leatherbacks are specialists at eating jellyfish and other soft-bodied prey.
• ●Hawksbills use narrow beaks to reach sponges in reef crevices.
• ●Eastern box turtles may eat plants, mushrooms, fruit, insects, and other small animals.

Sea turtles are air-breathing reptiles superbly adapted for long ocean journeys.

• ●There are seven living species of sea turtle.
• ●Six sea turtle species occur in U.S. waters.
• ●Sea turtles must surface for air because they have lungs, not gills.
• ●Some leatherbacks travel 10,000 miles or more in a year.

For a sea turtle, life begins beneath the sand.

• ●Adult females crawl ashore and dig egg chambers with their rear flippers.
• ●A sea turtle nest often holds around 100 eggs, although the number varies.
• ●Hatchlings usually emerge together and head toward the open ocean horizon.
• ●Nest temperature helps determine whether hatchlings develop as male or female.

Small, thoughtful choices can make beaches and waterways safer.

• ●Fishing line, plastic, balloons, and other debris can injure or entangle turtles.
• ●Artificial beach lights can lead nesting turtles and hatchlings in the wrong direction.
• ●A wild turtle should be watched from a respectful distance rather than handled.
• ●Protecting nesting and feeding habitats helps turtles complete their long life cycles.