Sea turtles are large turtles that inhabit warm waters of our planet’s oceans, bays and estuaries. However, because of their high metabolic rate, leatherback sea turtles have a body temperature that is noticeably higher than that of the surrounding water. Turtles typically have broad legs serving as flippers that allow them to swim efficiently underwater. The leatherback is the largest species of sea turtle.The majority of a sea turtle's body is protected by its shell: the cuticle and therefore the plastron. “Offshore migration is really just the first part in a longer transoceanic migration,” says Lohmann, one that occupies the first five to eight years of a sea turtle’s life—a period sometimes called “the lost years,” spent in the open ocean, where sea turtles were once thought to … The leatherback is that the solely sea turtle that doesn't have a … And out of those exposed parts, the head is the only one that is not covered with scales, as you can see in this picture. Turtles are ectotherms—commonly called cold-blooded—meaning that their internal temperature varies according to the ambient environment. Most sea turtle researchers believe that the black sea turtle should be called the Pacific green turtle because it is a sub-species of the green sea turtle and, as a result, has almost identical genetic traits. The scales on the shell of a turtle are called scutes. Sea Turtles Sea turtles inhabit warm waters of our planet’s oceans, bays and estuaries. Sea turtles are reptiles of the sea. Sea turtles, sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines.. Often considered majestic for their large size and gentle nature, sea turtles have lived on Earth—largely unchanged—for over 100 million years. Those that live and thrive on land are called tortoises, and those that live in sea, rivers, ponds, or any body of water are called turtles by zoologists. Turtles are classified as amniotes, along with other reptiles, birds, and mammals. Below, here are 10 facts about these amazing creatures Sea turtles are the only species of turtles that cannot pull their head, legs and tail into their shell. Generally, turtles are cold blood both the ones on land and in the sea, they belong to the set of a bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs and acting as a shield to their back and their lungs, it is the same with the shell of a tortoise. They are similar to their terrestrial (land) cousins, the tortoises, and to freshwater turtles, except that their legs have been modified into flippers to aid them in swimming. This is a trick question inasmuch as the answer depends as much on linguistics as it does on biology. Turtles live all over the world in almost every type of climate favorable for them. They are similar to their terrestrial (land) cousins, the tortoises, and to freshwater turtles, except that their legs have been modified into flippers to aid them in swimming. They have been on Earth for more than 100 million years, this makes them one of the oldest animal families on the planet. There are seven extant species of sea turtles: the green, loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, olive ridley, hawksbill, flatback, and leatherback.. Both are different and distinct species. The leatherback is the largest of all living sea turtles.Mature leatherbacks reach about 1.2 to 1.9 meters (3.9-6.2 feet) and 200 to 506 kilograms (441 to 1,116 pounds). Sea turtles, also called marine turtles, look like regular turtles, but have flippers instead of legs. The upper part of the shell that covers the turtle's back is called the carapace, which has two layers. The shell is made up of three parts. The debate centers on the genetic difference between the green sea turtle and the black sea turtle. The body of a turtle is mostly covered by the shell, the only parts left exposed are the neck, head, tail and legs. 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