Sea Turtle Trivia Questions

Many sea turtle species, like loggerheads and green turtles, undertake long migrations—sometimes over 2,000 miles—between foraging areas and nesting sites.

Sea turtles are reptiles, not mammals. They lay eggs on land, have scaly skin, and are cold-blooded. Breathing air does not make them mammals—whales and dolphins are mammal examples.

Sea turtles cannot retract their heads into their shells. Unlike many land turtles, their head and flippers are permanently exposed to reduce drag while swimming.

Sea turtles have temperature-dependent sex determination. Warmer sand produces more females, cooler sand produces more males, with a pivotal temperature around 85°F.

Leatherback sea turtles have a leathery, flexible shell covered with skin, not hard bone. The other six species have hard shells, but leatherbacks are a distinct exception.

Diet varies by species. Leatherbacks primarily eat jellyfish, but green sea turtles eat seagrasses and algae, while loggerheads eat crabs and mollusks. Most are omnivorous as juveniles.

When resting or sleeping, sea turtles such as loggerheads can slow their metabolism and remain submerged for up to 5–7 hours without surfacing to breathe.

Maximum verified lifespan for sea turtles is around 80–100 years (e.g., green turtles). Claims of 200+ years are unsubstantiated; land tortoises can live longer, but not sea turtles.