Sea turtles are probably one of the more popular creatures on the planet. Kids and adults both are fascinated with these large graceful creatures. Of course, the movie Finding Nemo only fed our obsession with sea turtles and the lives they lead. Many people find themselves looking for pictures of sea turtles online, whether they are for school projects; a computer desktop's wall paper, a collage or simply just a curiosity. It is easy to find pictures of sea turtles online. And of course, if you are a photographer, you are probably interested in learning how to take pictures of sea turtles as well.
Of course, before you head out into the blue ocean or the wide internet for pictures of sea turtles, here is a little bit of turtle trivia for you:
Sea turtles are one of the few creatures that have an internal skeleton and an external skeleton. The one exception is the leatherback, whose shell is not divided into two halves and has only skin covering the shell's bones.
Sea turtles have been on the planet for more than two millions years and can live in both the open sea and areas that have dry land (like island chains).
There are seven species of sea turtles still living on the planet. There are two hundred and fifty types of sea turtles that make up these seven species.
Sea turtles are characterized by their large shell, unique limbs and non-retractable head.
Some populations of sea turtles travel more than one thousand miles so that they can nest on islands located in the mid-Atlantic ocean.
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest living turtle on Earth. The adult leatherback turtle usually weighs between five hundred and sixteen hundred pounds.
Leatherback sea turtles' nesting grounds are very rare because these turtles will only nest in dark and silent areas.
Every single species of sea turtle is considered threatened or endangered.
Eighty percent of the sea turtles that nest in the United States do so on the Florida coastline.
The loggerhead sea turtle will lay between three thousand and four thousand nests each year.
Evolutionally speaking, turtles' bodies and lifestyles have remained largely unchanged in all their time on Earth.
Sea turtles cannot pull their flippers or their heads into their shells.
Sea turtles are thought to be land reptiles that returned to the sea (and ended up staying there) sometime during the eras of the Dinosaurs.
Sea turtles are very fascinating creatures and it is no wonder that they are so popular. These are large and docile creatures that do not seem to be afraid of people. In tropical vacation areas it is common to swim right alongside sea turtles or to have them swim underneath you while you are surfing. There are plenty of places to find pictures of sea turtles on the internet. A simple search on Google will yield thousands of sites that promise fantastic pictures of sea turtles for you to look at.
Pet Turtle Care Tip #1
Turtles are members of the Reptile family and they are some of the oldest living creatures on the planet. They have been around for more than two hundred million years. This makes them as old as the dinosaurs. There are hundreds of different kinds of turtles all over the planet.
Pet Turtle Care Tip #2
Sea turtles are the most popular of all of the turtles. These are also some of the largest creatures—some sea turtles can grow to more than six feet in length and weigh hundreds of pounds. Scientists think that sea turtles are actually land creatures that went back into the water and never came out. Over time their limbs evolved to make them stronger swimmers and to keep them in the water: their front appendages are actually flippers.
Pet Turtle Care Tip #3
All turtles, even sea turtles, are air breathing creatures. While some turtles can stay under the water for hours at a time, they all must surface at least once a day to stay alive. There is one turtle, the giant turtle that only has to surface once a day to take in air. There are some studies being done to see if some species of turtle might be able to draw oxygen from their cells much like some fish use their gills to breathe.