The largest turtle in the world - what is it?

Turtles are the elders of the world of fauna who survived many similar animals. They belong to the eponymous ancient group of animals, a class of reptiles (reptiles). Over the past 200 million years, turtles have not changed much. These creatures of different sizes and ages are surprisingly viable: some species up to five years can live without food, up to 10 hours remain alive in atmospheric layers deprived of oxygen.

So, the largest tortoise in the world is leathery, or Dermochelys coriacea. They reach striking dimensions - the length can be about two meters, the range of front fins - up to 5 m, and the weight of giants - up to 900 kg. Being the largest, they are also long-lived: the age of some is 23 years.

These turtles can keep the body warm with a constant diet. They excellently dive and can stay under the water for a long time. These giants are listed in the Guinness Book of Records as holders of the perfect achievement in speed among reptiles: 35.28 km / h.

The largest turtle is different from its contemporaries. Its shell is covered with thick skin, having a thickness of about 4 cm.

The waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans are the habitats of these giants. The favorite places of nesting were the coasts of Mexico and Guiana, Western Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. Masonry occurs during late spring and early summer. The process of laying two groups of eggs (ordinary and sterile) lasts about 10-20 minutes, while the remaining 40 minutes go to digging out, packing and disguising the nest. The largest tortoise in the world appears from the egg to the light after 2 months and immediately rushes to the sea. The turtle returns to its places with intervals of 2-3 years at night.

The world's largest turtle eats jellyfish, fish, sea worms, crustaceans and aquatic plants.

At present, these sea giants have become less and less common. The main reason is the reduction in the number of places to lay eggs. This is due to mass tourism and intensive construction of resorts with equipped beach areas.

A significant impact on the number of fishing eggs and the popularity of adults as a food product. Fishing nets and plastic debris was destroyed by more than one creature. The world's largest tortoise has the most valuable material - fat, used to seal joints in boats.

Another tragedy is the highly valuable material, "tortoiseshell" - a layer that covers the skeleton of the turtle. In its composition, the plates, which are beautiful in color, pattern and shape, stand out, behind which the trappers of the turtles hunt.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has developed measures aimed at protecting the clutch of eggs of the turtle. These laws should contribute to the fact that the world's largest turtle will increase its strength. For example, in Malaysia (in the State of Trenganu) a 12-kilometer seacoast section is recognized as a protected area. Every year, up to 1,700 female turtles arrive in its territory for laying eggs.