FACTS ABOUT SEA TURTLES
For each of the seven species of sea turtles, females and males are the same size. As adults, it is possible to tell male turtles from female turtles by their long tails with a cloacal opening near the tip. Adult female sea turtles have shorter tails, with a cloacal opening near the base. Hatchling and sub-adult turtles do not exhibit sexual dimorphism; it is not possible to determine their sex by looking at them.
In general, sea turtles have a more fusiform body plan than their territory or freshwater counterparts. This tapering at both ends reduces volume and means that sea turtles cannot retract their head and limbs into their shells for protection, unlike many other turtles and tortoises. However, the streamlined body plan reduces friction and drag in the water and allows sea turtles to swim more easily and swiftly.
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest sea turtle, reaching 1.4 to more than 1.8 (4.6 to 5.9 ft) in length and weighing between 300 and 640 (661 to 1,411 lbs). Other sea turtle species are smaller, ranging from as little as 60 cm (2 ft) long in the case of the Kemp's ridley, which is the smallest sea turtle species, to 120 cm (3.9 ft) long in the case of the green turtle, the second largest.
The skulls of sea turtles have cheek regions that are enclosed in bone. Although this condition appears to resemble that found in the earliest known fossil reptiles (anapsids), it is possible it is a more recently evolved trait in sea turtles, placing them outside the anapsids.
SWIM WITH SEA TURTLES IN AQUARIUM
You can actually book a tour to Zanzibar and experience swimming with turtles in natural aquarium. Reach us through email or Whatsapp for a quote and more information.
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