Turtles

I sat at the Turtle Pond early this afternoon in Central Park. The air was cool, the sun was covered by clouds and my butt felt the cool rock beneath me as my ears were flooded with the voices of tourists who were in awe over the turtles. I watched these little guys swim in the pond and stand stagnant on the rocks staring at the human race. At this moment, a thought occurred to me: I don’t think I’ve given turtles the attention and love they deserve. 

They look like dinosaurs, have a shell, and can swim. They are super peaceful and kind of remind me of an old man. They are also super cute!

I took some pictures and began smiling at these turtles. 

I then realized I don’t know much about turtles, so here are some fun facts about them:

1. “Turtles belong to one of the oldest reptile groups in the world – beating snakes, crocodiles and alligators!
2. These creatures date back to the time of the dinosaurs, over 200 million years ago – woah!
3. What a turtle eats depends on the environment it lives in. Land-dwelling turtles will munch on beetles, fruit and grass, whereas sea dwellers will gobble everything from algae to squid and jellyfish.
4. These cold-blooded creatures have an incredibly long life span. The oldest ever recorded, named Tu”i Malila, of Tonga Island, passed away at the grand old age of 188!
5. They could (hypothetically) give you a high five.Most species of turtle have five toes on each limb. A few turtle species only have four toes on each limb, and even more uncommonly, three toes on each limb. 
6.  Female turtles can store sperm for up to four years. No man, no problem. After mating, females can willingly store sperm in their bodies for up to four years. No need to rush, mama.
7. Sea turtles have an internal GPS.Who needs Siri? Not sea turtles. They have an internal system that helps direct them across the ocean and back using the earth’s magnetic field. Turtles can sense variations in the magnetic field and can pinpoint specific coastlines by the unique magnetic signature it has.” (Sourced directly from Natgeo kids and wildsea.edu!)

I think these facts are pretty awesome. 

I think turtles are pretty awesome. 

I hope I get to see some more turtles in my life.