15-question challenge
Turtle Trivia for Kids
Follow TurtleBoy through shells, sea grass, nesting beaches, and the open ocean. Every answer unlocks a turtle tidbit.
Round 1: Shell School
Turtle basics
1 of 15
Turtle notebook
Turtle quiz questions and answers
Take the challenge first, then open the notebook to review every answer and turtle tidbit.
1.What kind of animal is a turtle?
Answer: A reptile
Turtles are reptiles. They breathe air, have backbones, and are ectothermic, which means their surroundings help set their body temperature.
Turtle tidbit: Turtles live in oceans, rivers, ponds, forests, grasslands, and even deserts.
Check the source2.What is the top half of a turtle's shell called?
Answer: Carapace
The upper shell is the carapace. The lower shell, beneath the turtle, is the plastron.
Turtle tidbit: A turtle's shell includes bone and is part of its skeleton—it is not a separate house.
Check the source3.Do turtles have teeth?
Answer: No, they use beak-like jaws
Modern turtles do not have teeth. Their jaws form a beak that can snip, tear, or crush different foods.
Turtle tidbit: A loggerhead sea turtle has powerful jaws for crushing hard-shelled prey such as crabs and mollusks.
Check the source4.Where can turtles live?
Answer: In oceans, fresh water, and on land
Different turtles are adapted to very different places, including salt water, fresh water, and dry land.
Turtle tidbit: Feet offer clues: sea turtles have flippers, while many freshwater turtles have webbed feet.
Check the source5.Can a turtle crawl out of its shell and find a new one?
Answer: No
No. A turtle's shell grows with it and is connected to its ribs and backbone.
Turtle tidbit: The shell has living tissue, so turtles can feel touch through it.
Check the source6.How many sea turtle species live in the world today?
Answer: 7
Scientists recognize seven living species of sea turtle around the world.
Turtle tidbit: Six of those seven species can be found in U.S. waters.
Check the source7.How do sea turtles breathe?
Answer: They surface to breathe air
Sea turtles have lungs, not gills. They must reach the surface to breathe air.
Turtle tidbit: A resting sea turtle may remain underwater much longer than an active, swimming turtle.
Check the source8.Which sea turtle is the largest?
Answer: Leatherback
The leatherback is the largest living sea turtle.
Turtle tidbit: Instead of a hard shell covered in scales, a leatherback has flexible, rubbery skin over small interlocking bones.
Check the source9.What food is a leatherback sea turtle built to catch?
Answer: Jellyfish
Leatherbacks mainly eat soft-bodied ocean animals such as jellyfish and salps.
Turtle tidbit: Backward-pointing structures in their mouths help keep slippery prey from escaping.
Check the source10.Why is a green sea turtle called green?
Answer: Its body fat can look greenish
Its name comes from the greenish color of its body fat, not the outside of its shell.
Turtle tidbit: Adult green sea turtles mainly graze on sea grasses and algae.
Check the source11.Where do female sea turtles lay their eggs?
Answer: In nests dug on sandy beaches
Adult females leave the ocean and dig nests in beach sand with their rear flippers.
Turtle tidbit: Many sea turtles return to the general area where they hatched when it is time to nest.
Check the source12.What can help a sea turtle hatchling find the ocean at night?
Answer: The bright, open horizon over the water
Hatchlings use cues that include the brighter, open horizon reflected over the ocean.
Turtle tidbit: Artificial lights near a nesting beach can confuse hatchlings and lead them away from the water.
Check the source13.What does warmer nest sand usually produce in sea turtles?
Answer: Mostly female hatchlings
Warmer incubation temperatures generally produce more females; cooler temperatures generally produce more males.
Turtle tidbit: A single nest can still produce a mix because temperatures vary from one part of the nest to another.
Check the source14.What is an arribada?
Answer: A mass nesting event
An arribada is a mass nesting event when many ridley sea turtles come ashore to nest around the same time.
Turtle tidbit: The Spanish word arribada means “arrival.”
Check the source15.Which choice helps sea turtles?
Answer: Giving nesting turtles plenty of space
Wild turtles need space. Keeping beaches clean and dark and following local wildlife guidance helps nesting turtles and hatchlings.
Turtle tidbit: Marine debris, habitat loss, vessel strikes, and accidental capture in fishing gear are major threats to sea turtles.
Check the source