TurtleTurtles are one of nature’s most amazing animals. Now, they may not seem as fast as a cheetah, or as graceful as an eagle, but what is truly remarkable is their nonstop will to survive. This may seem like a natural instinct of all animals, but the turtle’s will to survive is one of the world’s strongest.
They have survived through two mass extinctions, one wiping out 80% of the past world’s species and the other wiping out 76%. To say that a species has survived two mass extinctions is pretty amazing already, but to outlive the dinosaurs, the greatest monsters to walk on earth is just extraordinary. Imagine living in the seas 65 million years ago. Just like the terrifying creatures on land, the creatures in the seas were equally enormous and deadly. Take the Megalodon shark. This monstrous size predator could grow up to 65 feet, with teeth the size of a human hand.
Surviving in these kinds of hostile waters took a lot of skill and a strong will to survive. Admittedly, the prehistoric turtles were a lot bigger and even had some spikes to defend itself, but spikes don’t do much against a predator that is six times bigger than you. Even today, modern turtles that are no bigger than three feet, face predators much bigger than themselves. They also face a predator that would have made their giant ancestors shudder with fear: humans. There are currently about 100,000,000 tons of plastic trash drifting around in the ocean. Thousands of turtles ingest this trash and die.
In addition, turtles face the threat of being accidentally caught in fishing nets and drowning. Also, sometimes they are caught on purpose. Hawksbill sea turtles, highly coveted for their unique shell color, are illegally poached and made into objects for people to use. In addition, in certain countries, turtles are viewed as delicacies, and the government makes no move to protect them. However, what really makes the turtle a true survivor is its life story, specifically when it is bornWhen baby turtles are born at night, they usually all make it to the sea, no problem.
Being hatched in broad daylight is an entirely different situation. The turtles are no bigger than baseballs, and are favorite prey for birds, crabs, and other predators. The turtles, not being able to move very fast on land, struggle helplessly as thousands of their siblings are eaten. What is amazing is that in an average hatching, 1 out of 1000 hatchlings will reach the sea. And 1 out of 10,000 will grow old enough to lay eggs and start the cycle again. And yet they have survived on this very shaky method for 220,000,000 years.
In conclusion, turtles are nature’s true survivors. This is because of their remarkable skills to survive, and to be able to adapt to any environment that they are put in. In addition, we must make a greater effort on protecting these wonderful creatures to ensure that they will be on Earth for a very long time to come.
