Habitat
Turtles live all over the world. Some spend most of their time in oceans, lakes and rivers. Others live on the land, in forests and in deserts. Still others are semi-aquatic—which means they divide their time between the water and the land. These turtles can be found in bogs, swamps, marshes and wetlands. Turtles do not live in the Artic or Antarctica.
Changing Seasons, Changing Habits
All turtles are ectotherms, or “cold-blooded.” This means that turtles depend on the environment to maintain their body temperature, as they cannot regulate it on their own. Different types of turtles manage this issue in different ways.
Turtles that live in cold climates hibernate during the winter season. In late fall, they slow down and seek out their hibernation sites under the ice of lakes and streams.
Turtles that live in hot, dry climates also burrow underground, but they do so to escape the hottest months of year. This activity is called estivation.
Diet
Most turtles eat plants, insects, fish, amphibians, small birds and small mammals. A sea turtle’s diet includes algae, seagrass, crabs and jellyfish. How much and how often turtles eat depends on the species, but because of their very slow metabolism, they can go much longer without eating than birds or mammals. Some can go weeks without food and not lose any weight!
Reproduction
All species of turtles lay eggs on dry land. Even sea turtles, which spend their lives in the water, will come ashore to lay their eggs.
Some turtles lay their eggs in piles of leaves or in a thin layer of soil, but most turtles prefer to leave their eggs in a specially prepared nest. Once the eggs are laid, the turtle covers them and leaves. The number of eggs a female turtle lays varies widely by species. Some lay just two or three, while others can lay a hundred or more.
Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins
Turtles belong to the chelonia order of shelled reptiles, as do tortoises and terrapins. What’s the difference? The terminology changes depending on where you live. In North America, the word turtle generally refers to any reptile with a shell. However, turtles that live only on land are called tortoises. In other parts of the world, tortoises live on land, terrapins are semi-aquatic and live in freshwater and turtle refers to species that live in salt water. No matter what you call them, they’re all chelonians!