Sea turtles are one of the more fascinating creatures in the animal kingdom. They are also one of the heaviest.
How much does a sea turtle weigh?
Sea turtles can range between 89 pounds (40.37 kg) to 2,000 pounds (907.19 kg).
The heaviest turtles weigh as much as a Smart car.
How much does a green sea turtle weigh?
A green sea turtle can weigh up to 700 pounds (317.51 kg).
Weights of other sea turtles
- Loggerhead – 155 to 375 pounds (70 to 170 kg)
- Kemp’s Ridley – 79 to 99 pounds (36 to 45 kg)
- Olive Ridley – 75 to 100 pounds (34 to 45 kg)
- Hawksbill – 101 to 154 pounds (46 to 70 kg)
- Flatback – 154 to 198 pounds (70 to 90 kg)
- Leatherback – 550 to 2,200 pounds (249 to 998 kg)
What do sea turtles eat?
Most sea turtles feast on sponges, jellyfish, squid, crabs, shrimp, cuttlefish. Green sea turtles generally only eat algae and sea grasses.
Do turtles have teeth?
Yes, prehistoric turtles are believed to have had teeth!
Turtles you see today use their very sharp beaks to eat, because they do not have teeth.
They have strong jaws, which allow them to break your skin, or even bones, if they bite you with their beaks.
Can sea turtles breathe underwater?
Sea turtles can hold their breath underwater for several hours.
They can remain underwater for 4 to 7 hours without coming to the surface to breathe. That’s if they are only sleeping or resting. Regardless of what they are doing, they must come to the surface to breathe at some point.
~ Fun Fact ~
Sea turtles may not be the fastest creatures but can travel more than 10,000 miles per year.
When a sea turtle begins to nest, it travels back to the same location it was born to lay its eggs.
Sources
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/
http://www.scienceline.ucsb.edu/