and turtle shell don’t feel anything? wrong!
Turtles have a long lifespan? wrong!
In fact, many of our perceptions about turtles, or this group of turtles, are wrong.
Q: In the cartoon, the turtle can easily take off its shell at a critical moment. Is this true?
A: Of course not. tortoise shell consists of an upper carapace, a lower plastron, and a nail bridge connecting the two. Just like the human spine and ribs, the tortoise shell protects the soft internal organs and is a very important part of the tortoise's body.
A tortoise shell looks like a complete piece, but is actually made up of about 50 bones (the number varies depending on the species). Therefore, turtles cannot take off their shells, just like humans cannot take off their spines and ribs. Such behavior is fatal to turtles.
Q: Turtles don’t have ears?
A: Although turtles do not have external ears, they have middle ears and inner ears. There are two tympanic membranes behind the turtle's eyes, which can protect the middle ear cavity of the turtle. External sound is transmitted through the eardrum and then to the inner ear.
Due to the structure of their ears, turtles are not very sensitive to sounds transmitted through the air, but they are very sensitive to sounds transmitted through the ground, and they can only hear low-pitched sounds. Scientists also believe that the balance function of turtle ears is more important than hearing.
Q: The tortoise shell is so hard, so it shouldn’t feel painful, right?
A: If someone says that, you must tell him that it is wrong. Many people believe that tortoise shells, like human fingernails and hair, are made of cuticles and do not transmit feelings. This idea has led to horrific experiments, but new research shows that all parts of a turtle's body are sentient, including its shell.
There are abundant nerves, blood vessels and high-density connective tissue distributed under the horn of the tortoise shell (including the very thin edge of the carapace). Even if you just touch the tortoise shell gently, you can feel it in the nerves under the tortoise shell.
Turtles can not only feel touch, but if they gain trust, they will also stretch out their necks, enjoy petting, and even take the initiative to approach humans. So, be gentle with turtles.
Q: Is the sex of a turtle determined by temperature?
A: Yeah, unbelievable right? The sex determination method of turtles is environmentally determined. During incubation, if the temperature is higher, the embryo is more likely to develop into a female, while at lower temperatures, the embryo is more likely to develop into a male. This is because turtles have a "bisex gene" in their bodies that prevents embryos from developing into males when temperatures are high. In addition to turtles, the sex of frogs, crocodiles, and lizards is also affected by incubation temperature.
In recent years, as the climate warms, the survival of these animals has also faced considerable challenges. At present, sea turtles have been greatly affected, and the proportion of female sea turtles in some areas has reached more than 80%. If we don't think of ways to improve it, there may be no next generation of sea turtles in a few years.
Q: Can and eat glass?
A: Of course not. Glass is very stable and does not react easily under various chemical conditions. Gastric acid cannot dissolve glass, and hard glass can easily scratch the digestive tract. So how did this rumor come about? This starts with the tortoiseshell recipe.
The hawksbill turtle is an omnivore and likes to eat fish, shrimp, crabs and molluscs, but it most commonly eats various sponges. Many sponges contain silica , which is one of the raw materials for making glass, so many people mistakenly believe that tortoiseshell can digest glass.
The tortoise shell has colorful patterns on its back. It was once used as a raw material for making jewelry. The tortoise shell was once the target of hunting in large numbers. In 1982, the hawksbill turtle was listed as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, and was upgraded to critically endangered in 1996. However, many people around the world are still fishing for hawksbill turtles, and related protection work is difficult to carry out.
Q: Do turtles live long lives?
A: In fact, turtles do not live as long as people think.The lifespan of the common red-eared turtle is about 15 years, the lifespan of Chinese tortoise is about 50 years, and the lifespan of domestic pet turtles is shorter. Generally speaking, there is a certain relationship between the life span of a turtle and its body size: turtles that live longer will be larger. For example, the largest existing tortoise Galapagos giant tortoise can reach 1.2 meters in length, weigh 300 grams, and can live up to 200 years old. Turtles also generally have longer lifespans.
Scientists believe that the long lifespan of some turtles is related to the telomere structure at the end of the chromosomes. telomeres are responsible for protecting the integrity of chromosomes and controlling the cell division cycle. Every time a cell divides, the telomeres of the chromosomes shorten. When the telomeres can no longer be shortened, the cell cannot continue to divide. However, studies have shown that when the cells of long-lived turtles divide, the telomeres shorten very slowly, or even do not shorten, and they also appear to grow. Not only that, the shortening of chromosome telomeres and is also different in different tissues of the same turtle.
Q: Can turtles fake death?
A: Turtles do not have suspended animation, only hibernation. When the temperature drops below 15°C, the turtle will slowly enter the hibernation state. During hibernation, their heads, tails, and limbs are retracted into their shells, their eyes are closed, and they do not eat or excrete. During the summer, turtles eat a lot to store energy to survive the long hibernation period.
During hibernation, the turtle's various tissues and organs will be cultivated and restored, its resistance will also be enhanced, and it will also be able to develop rapidly, which is conducive to the growth and reproduction in the second year. If you find a hibernating tortoise in the wild, do not disturb it and let it spend the entire hibernation period as peacefully as possible; if it is a captive-bred tortoise, it requires great patience and careful care from the owner.
After the temperature rises, the turtle will wake up and resume normal eating and activities when it senses the temperature change.
