Sea Turtles & Reptiles

Sea turtles have existed since the age of the dinosaurs, yet there is a chance that all seven species could go extinct.

Lets get to know about them.

Banded Sea Krait

The eastern Indian and western Pacific oceans are home to the banded sea krait, a sea snake that dwells on coral reefs. The black vertical bars (bands) that splatter the creature's otherwise white body are where it derives its common name. The sea kraits spend more time on land than certain other sea snakes, including the olive sea snake, which spends its whole life cycle in the sea.

Flatback Turtle

The relative flatness of the flatback turtle's shell is one of the traits that set it apart from other sea turtles in the globe, hence the name. The majority of sea turtles move incredibly far, crossing entire ocean basins several times throughout the course of their lifetimes. Yet, the flatback turtle is the only sea turtle that does not travel to the Americas, has a significantly smaller range, and is only found in the coastal waters of Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Green Turtle

The green turtle is the largest species in the family of hard-shelled sea turtles and the second largest among all sea turtles, after the leatherback turtle. Its common name is derived from the greenish colour of its fat rather than the colour of its skin or shell, as is common among most sea turtle species. The green turtle is the only sea turtle that eats only seagrass and algae, which may contribute to the green fatty tissue.

Hawksbill Turtle

The common name for the hawksbill turtle comes from the shape of its curved, pointed beak, which resembles that of a bird of prey. They feed on sponges and other invertebrates found on coral reefs with this beak. Hawksbill turtles spend a portion of their lives in the open ocean, but they are more reef-associated than other sea turtle species.

Kemp’s Ridley Turtle

Despite the fact that females of this species nest more frequently than other animals, the Kemp's ridley turtle is the world's most endangered sea turtle. Richard M. Kemp, a Floridian fisherman and naturalist who first submitted the Kemp's ridley for identification in 1880, gave it its common name. The Kemp's ridley can now be found in the Gulf of Mexico's nearshore waters, where males and females have plenty of space for feeding and breeding.

Leatherback Turtle

The leatherback turtle is the world's largest living turtle, weighing up to 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms). The leatherback turtle, unlike all other marine turtles, lacks a hard, bony carapace (shell). Instead, it has a tough, rubbery shell made of cartilage-like tissues, as the name implies.

Loggerhead Turtle

The loggerhead turtle is a large sea turtle named after its broad, powerful head. These turtles are generalist predators, crushing the shells of queen conch, Caribbean spiny lobsters, and other hard-shelled invertebrates with their muscular heads and powerful jaws.

Marine Iguana

The only lizards that spend time in the ocean are marine iguanas. They can only be found on the Galapagos Islands, and like many other Galapagos species, they have adapted to island life. For so long, populations across the archipelago have been isolated from one another that each island has its own subspecies.

Olive Ridley Turtle

The olive ridley turtle is the most abundant sea turtle species on the planet, and it is famous for its arribadas (Spanish for "arrival"). Olive ridley turtles are also among the smallest sea turtle species, measuring only 2 to 2.5 feet (0.6 to 0.7 m) in length and weighing 80 to 110 pounds (36 to 50 kg). They get their name from the olive color of their heart-shaped shells.

Olive Sea Snake

The olive sea snake is the most common sea snake along Australia's northern coast and nearby island groups. It is a true snake, and its common name is derived from the color of its skin. Olive sea snakes, like all reptiles, breathe air, but unlike sea turtles, crocodiles, sea kraits, and other marine reptiles, which must nest on land, the olive sea snake spends its entire life cycle in the ocean.

Saltwater Crocodile

The saltwater crocodile is the world's largest reptile, reaching lengths of more than 23 feet (6.5 m) and weighing more than 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilos). It is a formidable predator throughout its range. Saltwater crocodiles of this size are capable of eating almost any animal that comes too close and are especially adept at drowning terrestrial creatures such as birds and mammals. Saltwater crocodiles are named after their ability to survive in full salinity seawater, but they typically live in brackish (low salinity) water near the coast.

69 Facts about Sea Turtles & Reptiles

The black vertical bands that adorn the white bodies of banded sea kraits give them their name.
Snakes that have bands on them are poisonous. They paralyse their prey by using their poison.
Due to their propensity for eel hunting on rocky and coral reefs, banded sea kraits are classified as marine reptiles.
Banded sea kraits, which are much smaller than the eels they consume, swallow their prey completely before returning to land to digest it, which could take many weeks.
Banded sea krait females can weigh up to three times as much as males. Males eat smaller moray eels, whereas females often consume larger conger eels.
Male banded sea kraits are only 30 inches (75 cm) long, compared to the 50 inches (128 cm) of females.
Before coming to the surface for air, banded sea kraits can spend anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes submerged on average.
Australia and Papua New Guinea's coastal seas are home to flatback turtles.
Most of the time, flatback turtles feed on soft-bodied food including jellyfish, sea cucumbers, and soft coral.
On Australian beaches only, female flatback turtles lay their eggs. Flatbacks produce two to three clutches of 50 eggs each throughout the nesting season.
At maturity, flatback turtles reach lengths of 31 to 37 inches (80 to 95 cm) and weights of 220 pounds (100 kg).
Until recently, scientists thought flatback turtles belonged to the green turtle family. They weren't identified as a distinct species until 1988.
The green turtle is the second-biggest species of sea turtle and the largest kind of hard-shelled turtle.
Green turtles are between 300 and 350 pounds and range in length from 91 to 122 cm (136 to 159 kg).
According to estimates, green turtles live for 60 to 70 years and attain sexual maturity between the ages of 25 and 35.
Because of their green-colored fat, which they obtain from their herbivorous diet of seagrass and algae, green turtles are so named.
More than 140 different countries have coastlines where green turtles can be found.
Normally, only female sea turtles make shore visits during their lifetimes, but male and female green turtles have been observed strolling onto Hawaiian beaches to enjoy the sun.
No matter how far away, female green turtles return to the same beach where they gave birth to lay their eggs.
Hawksbill turtles get their name from their pointed beaks that resemble those of birds.
Hawksbill turtles can grow to be 45 inches (114 cm) long and weigh between 110 and 150 pounds (50 to 68 kg).
Female hawksbill turtles lay their eggs in the same nesting grounds where they were born.
Hawksbill turtles can be found in more than 108 countries' coastal waters.
Hawksbill turtles contribute to the health of reefs by feeding primarily on sponges that outcompete corals.
The Kemp's ridley turtle is the most endangered species of sea turtle.
The Kemp's ridley turtle is the smallest species of sea turtle.
Kemp's ridley turtles range in size from 24 to 27 inches (61 to 67 cm) and weigh 100 pounds (45 kg).
Female Kemp's ridley turtles nest in the open air, unlike other sea turtles.
Female Kemp's ridley turtles gather on the beach at the same time to nest, a phenomenon known as "arribadas" (meaning "arrival" in Spanish).
The Kemp's ridley turtle is named after Richard M. Kemp, a Florida fisherman who described the species for the first time in 1880, but it's unclear why "ridley" is included in the name.
Kemp's ridley turtles have large crushing surfaces in their jaws, allowing them to feed primarily on crabs.
The leatherback turtle is the world's largest turtle species.
Leatherback turtles can reach lengths of 4.5 to 5.5 feet (1.4 to 1.7 meters) and weigh up to 2,200 pounds (998 kg).
Leatherback turtles are the only turtle species without a hard shell and scales on the planet.
Leatherback turtles get their name from their tough skin, which looks like rubbery leather.
Leatherback turtles have existed in their current form since the time of the dinosaurs and have not changed in millions of years.
Leatherback turtles travel over 10,000 miles per year to their nesting grounds.
Leatherback turtles are expert divers, with the ability to dive nearly 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) deep.
Leatherback turtles can dive for up to 85 minutes.
Leatherback turtles have razor-sharp jaws that help them tear through gelatinous prey like jellyfish and salps.
The broad, muscular heads of loggerhead turtles inspired their name.
Loggerhead turtles have a length of 3 feet (0.9 m) and a weight of 250 pounds (113 kg).
It can take up to 39 years for a loggerhead turtle to reach sexual maturity.
Loggerhead turtles have blunt jaws that allow them to feed on mollusks, whelks, and conch.
Female loggerhead turtles lay their eggs in the same nesting grounds where they were born.
Marine iguanas are the world's only marine lizard species and are endemic to the Galapagos Islands.
Marine iguanas can dive to depths of more than 65 feet (20 meters).
Marine iguanas, unlike land lizards, have blunt snouts that allow them to feed on algae underwater. They also have flattened tails that aid in swimming.
Marine iguanas typically spend only a few minutes underwater eating but can stay submerged for up to 30 minutes at a time.
Male marine iguanas can grow to be 4.3 feet (1.3 meters) long, while females are typically 2 feet (0.6 meters) long.
Through a nasal gland, marine iguanas "sneeze out" excess salt that their bodies accumulate while underwater.
Marine iguanas are thought to have evolved from land iguanas brought to the Galapagos Islands and adapted to a sea-faring life in order to survive on the islands around 4.5 million years ago.
Olive ridley turtles can grow to be 2.5 feet (0.7 m) long and 110 pounds in weight (50 kg).
Olive ridley turtles have been discovered at depths of up to 500 feet (150 m).
Olive ridley turtles can sleep for two hours underwater before coming up for air.
Olive ridley turtles are thought to live for 50 to 60 years.
Arribadas occur to provide safety in numbers. When hatchlings are released into the sea with hundreds of others, they have a better chance of survival than hatchlings born from a solitary nester.
Olive sea snakes are among the most common sea snakes found on Australia's coral reefs.
Olive sea snakes can be found up to 230 feet (70 meters) below sea level, but they prefer shallow reef flats that are 32 to 131 feet (10 to 40 meters) deep.
Olive sea snakes can reach lengths of 6.5 feet (2 meters).
Olive sea snakes can stay underwater for up to two hours before returning to the surface to breathe.
Olive sea snakes, like land snakes, must shed their skin, which they do by rubbing against hard coral or rocks to loosen it first. Not only is skin shedding beneficial to growth, but it also rids olive sea snakes of algae, barnacles, and bryozoans.
Saltwater crocodiles are the world's largest crocodile species and the world's largest living reptile.
Male saltwater crocodiles have been measured at 23 feet (7 meters) and 2,205 pounds (1,000 kg). Females are much smaller, reaching about 10 feet (3 meters) in length and weighing 330 pounds (150 kg).
Adult saltwater crocodiles have the most teeth of any animal and the greatest bite pressure.
Saltwater crocodiles can swim between freshwater and brackish water and are most commonly found in coastal waters or rivers.
Saltwater crocodiles have a lifespan of more than 70 years.
Saltwater crocodiles are opportunistic feeders, preying on everything from crabs and fish to birds, turtles, pigs, buffalo, and even humans.
Saltwater crocodiles use a variety of sounds to communicate, including barking, hissing, growling, and chirps.

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