While the turtle is on his journey, a man snaps a photo
of him. A picture was later added by Detroit DJ Robin Michael. Michael
described the reptile as "The biggest turtle I have ever seen!"
Indeed, one of the aspects of the leatherback turtle
which make it unique is its size. Growing up to 7 feet long and weighing up to
2,000 pounds, leatherback turtles are the largest turtles on Earth. Part of
what makes them such a majestic sight is that they are so rare.
In fact, leatherback turtles are among the
only remaining members of a species of turtle that has been known to exist for
over 100 million years.
Leatherback turtles were once common, existing in every
ocean except for the Arctic and Antarctic. However, this has changed over time
and the population of the leatherback turtle is rapidly decreasing today.
Concerned about the future of the species, conservation
groups have become involved. They hope to preserve these amazing turtles for
years to come.
Leatherback turtles mainly live in the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans, usually near the equator. Some can also be found in the coast
off of Central America. The turtles crawl out of the water and walk onto land
to lay their eggs in the sand. Once they have done that, they head back into
the ocean.
Take a moment to reflect on the current
situation for leatherback turtles. What do you like most about them? What do
you think we can do to help preserve the species? How do you think leatherback
turtles have managed to survive when most other species of turtle from 100
million years ago are extinct? Show this article to a friend and encourage them
to share their thoughts with us as well. There is not a whole lot of dialogue
on these amazing turtles and we want to hear what you have to say!
Source : apost.com / youtube.com