They are also an important source of income for coastal residents through turtle-watching ecotourism. Research has shown that sea turtle ecotourism can generate three times the income than by selling sea turtle parts (eggs, meat, & shells), making them worth more alive than dead.
Are turtles good for anything?
“Turtles are great scavengers, the garbage patrol of an area,” eating up dead fish from lakes and rivers, Gibbons says. “ They do no harm and they do a lot of good.” Turtles also provide homes for a lot of critters. Burrows dug by gopher tortoises shelter over 350 species, including burrowing owls, rabbits, and bobcats.
How are sea turtles helpful?
What we do know is that sea turtles—even at diminished population levels—play an important role in ocean ecosystems by maintaining healthy seagrass beds and coral reefs , providing key habitat for other marine life, helping to balance marine food webs and facilitating nutrient cycling from water to land.
What would happen without sea turtles?
If sea turtles went extinct, dune vegetation would lose a major source of nutrients and would not be as healthy and would not be strong enough to maintain the dunes, resulting in increased erosion. Once again, all parts of an ecosystem are important, if you lose one, the rest will eventually follow.
What is special about sea turtles?
Sea turtles are deep divers and can stay underwater for long periods of time . As reptiles, sea turtles breathe air, but they have the ability, under natural conditions, to remain submerged for hours at a time. ... Most sea turtles spend their entire life at sea, only returning to nesting beaches to lay eggs.
Can turtles hear humans?
Turtles who live on land need to hear so they can avoid predators or find prey, but they don’t hear in the same way people do . A person’s outer ear is shaped to help draw sounds in toward the outer ear, but turtles have no outer ear. They have thin flaps of skin covering internal ear bones.
Are turtles friendly?
Turtles have many endearing attributes: They are quiet, cute and unassuming. But, while people might feel affection toward the slow-moving creatures when they timidly poke their heads out from their shells, turtles don’t share the same friendly feelings about humans . ...
Can sea turtles drown?
Sea turtles can hold their breath for several hours, depending upon the level of activity. A resting or sleeping turtle can remain underwater for 4-7 hours. ... However, a stressed turtle, entangled in fishing gear for instance, quickly uses up oxygen stored within its body and may drown within minutes .
What animals eat turtle?
Adult sea turtles have a few predators, mostly large sharks. Tiger sharks , in particular, are known for eating sea turtles. Killer whales have been known to prey on leatherback turtles. Fishes, dogs, seabirds, raccoons, ghost crabs, and other predators prey on eggs and hatchlings.
How long can turtles live?
Even so, if an individual survives to adulthood, it will likely have a life span of two to three decades. In the wild, American box turtles (Terrapene carolina) regularly live more than 30 years . Obviously, sea turtles requiring 40 to 50 years to mature will have life spans reaching at least 60 to 70 years.
What are 5 interesting facts about sea turtles?
- They think jellyfish are delicious. ...
- They’re the oceans’ lawnmowers. ...
- They cannot retract into their shell like other turtles. ...
- Temperature dictates the sex of baby turtles. ...
- They’ve been around for a very, very long time. ...
- They can hold their breath for five hours underwater.
Why do sea turtles cry?
Sea turtles drink seawater to hydrate. Although sea turtles are physically adapted to a saline environment, they need to be able to excrete excess salt. The liquid secreted gives the appearance of tears , hence why turtles are often reported to “cry” . ...
Do turtles fart?
Tortoises and turtles do fart! Farts can range in size and sound just like humans. They will probably not be as loud but they can be just as pungent. The tortoises’ diet contributes to their farts as well as the amount of gas build-up they experience during the day.
Are turtles deaf?
Turtles don’t have ears, but they’re not deaf . Thin flaps of skin cover internal ear bones, which receive vibrations and low-frequency sounds.
Do turtles like music?
There is no scientific proof that turtles and tortoises actually like music . On the flip side, there is no proof that they dislike music either. But some turtles and tortoises do grow to respond to certain songs that their owners play often. ... Some tortoises may like music while others won’t.
Do turtles have good memory?
They also have good memories . Trials have shown that turtles which have mastered a trick to obtain a food reward, at a young age, will immediately remember how to achieve the same result, when the puzzle is re-introduced to them eight months later. There is also evidence that turtles have individual personalities.”
