Some Facts about Turtle and Turtle Shell Facts.
Some Facts about Turtle and Turtle Shell Facts. Some interesting facts about speed of turtle and weight of turtle. Shell is very hard but it is not bullet proof. In a live animal, we cannot separate the shell from the body. Turtle shell composition makes it harder. It is composed of Calcium phosphate which makes the shell of turtle stronger. This shell protects the turtle. This article is written by Dr. Mujahid Hussain, Wildlife Professional and Vet
ساحل سمندر پر لوگوں کی تفریح سبز کچھوؤں کی افزائش نسل کیلئے خطرہ
جگنو روشنی کیسے پیدا کرتا ہے؟ جگنو کے حوالے سے دلچسپ حقائق پر مشتمل ڈاکٹر مجاہد حسین کی تحریر
مختلف جانوروں میں بچے کی پیدائش کا حیران کن عمل، ڈاکٹر مجاہد حسین کی دلچپسپ تحریر
Intersting Facts about Turtle
The turtle is an amphibious animal and is found almost everywhere in the world. On land, it is considered a slow animal, moving at 0.22-0.48 km/h, while in water, it is a good swimmer, able to swim at a speed of 30-35 km/h.
The speed of the world’s fastest turtle (Bertie) is 0.28 m/s according to Guinness World Records.
The average weight of a turtle is about 33-50 kg. A turtle does not have teeth in its mouth, but rather has a hard beak like a bird, which can crush or grind its prey/food due to its strong jaws and muscles.
Shell of Turtle and Its Protective Nature
By nature, a turtle is a bit of a timid animal, but a very strong protective shell gives it self-confidence. The shell of a turtle, like any other animal, does not have an exoskeleton, nor does it have ossified scales, nor is it made of skin, nor can it be removed without killing the turtle.
Like human bones, the main mineral of its shell is calcium phosphate. Underneath the shell are the internal organs. The turtle’s body is not only covered with a shell on top, but also on the lower surface. The upper shell is called the carapace, while the lower shell is called the plastron. The two shells are connected by a bony substance called a bridge. Except for soft-shelled turtles and leatherback turtles, the shell is covered by a protective layer of scutes made of keratin.
Shell of Turtle and Its Evolutionary History
Turtles are very old animals whose fossils are 210 million years old, but even those fossils have shells. This raises the question of when and how the turtle’s shell was formed.
Turtles did not initially have a shell, but according to a recent study by Tyler Lyson, a scientist affiliated with Yale University and the Smithsonian Institute, on 45 specimens of Eunotosaurus africanus fossils found in South Africa, this shell began to form about 260 million years ago during the Permian period due to the passage of time and the evolution of environmental needs (the evolution of the shell can be seen and understood at youtu.be/qIOPDysP74g).
The study found that many characteristics of Eunotosaurus were similar to modern turtles, such as the absence of rib joints and rib muscles, etc. Eunotosaurus looks like a cross between a turtle and a lizard, or rather like a lizard that has swallowed a cannonball.
Turtle Shell Formation in Embryos
Turtle embryos form a shell by fusing ribs and spines. The ribs begin to expand first, and then the spines expand, and the two fuse together to form a shell.
Shell of Turtle Strength and Durability
A turtle’s shell is extremely strong, able to withstand a pressure of 1,000 pounds. The fracture toughness of an average shell is 36.4 MPa-m1/2, which measures how much force it takes to break the shell.
A turtle’s shell is not bulletproof, as is commonly believed. Nerve endings reach the bones of the shell, allowing the turtle to feel the touch of anything on the shell. A turtle can survive for several days or weeks even after being seriously injured due to its very slow metabolism.
The shell of a turtle is stronger than aluminum but weaker than titanium. This shell protects the turtle from attacks by various animals such as raccoons, coyotes, foxes, crabs, etc. But on the other hand, a strong pointed force such as the teeth of a crocodile, alligator, shark, etc. can damage the shell.
Finally, a message for all of you…
“Life is Tough & We Need to be Tougher Like a Turtle’s Shell”
