World Turtle Day is celebrated every year on May 23. The motive of the day is to raise awareness and increase knowledge of and respect for turtles and tortoises and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive without human interruption. This day is celebrated since 2000. World turtle day is observed annually every year by dressing up as turtles to raise awareness about the destruction of their natural habitat. People also rescue turtles from roads and highways and return them to their natural habitats on this day. Meanwhile, on the occasion of World Turtle Day 2021, we will share with you 10 interesting facts about this reptile. World Turtle Day 2021 Date And Significance: History & Celebrations of the Observance That Raises Awareness About Protecting Turtles.

On World Turtle Day many lessons and activities are also done in schools to raise awareness about this day among school children. This event is being organised by a nonprofit organisation namely, American Tortoise Rescue (ATR). It aims to protect the turtles and tortoises from illegal smuggling, exotic food industry, habitat destruction, global warming and pet trade.

Turtles are the reptiles. They can reside inside freshwater or saltwater. They are also cold-blooded species. They have a very slow metabolism and can survive without food and water for a long time. Turtles play an important role in the river by scavenging dead organic material and diseased fish by controlling water pollution.

Here the amazing 10 facts you need to know about this beautiful species: 

1. Turtles belong to one of the oldest reptile groups in the world.

2. The shell of a turtle is actually a part of its skeleton and is made up of nearly 50 bones.

3. . There are a total of 300 species of turtles in the entire world, out of which 129 species are endangered.

4. Some turtles are carnivores (meat-eaters), others are herbivores (plant eaters) and some are omnivores (a mixture of the two!). Many baby turtles start life as carnivores but grow to eat more plants as they mature.

5. 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.

6. Turtles breathe air and lay their eggs on land, which makes them amniotes. Even though they spend most of their lives underwater, they still lay their eggs on land.

7. Turtles are very fond of jellyfish, even though some species are poisonous. Their appetite for jellyfish can sometimes prove harmful for them, as many times they ingest plastic, thinking it’s a floating jellyfish, which can choke them.

8. The largest turtles weigh more than a thousand pounds.

9. Turtles aren't silent.

10. In some species, weather determines if turtle eggs become male or female. Lower temperatures lead to male eggs hatching, while higher temperatures lead to female hatchlings.

Turtles play an important role in ocean ecosystems by maintaining healthy seagrass beds and coral reefs, providing key habitats for other marine life. It also helps to balance marine food webs and facilitate nutrient cycling from water to land. Thus, the conservation of turtles will help to conserve biodiversity and to maintain a natural balance. On World Turtle Day 2021, share some facts about turtles on social media to become part of this event.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2021 07:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).