30 Fun Facts About Turtles for Kids

Turtles have been around for more than 200 million years, which means they were here long before the first humans. They carry their homes on their backs, lay eggs on land and, in some cases, live for many decades. Here are 30 fun facts about turtles for kids, with a few notes on how turtles, tortoises and sea turtles are different.

When you finish, print an ocean friend from our animal coloring pages and give it a green and teal shell.

Turtle shells

1. A turtle's shell is part of its skeleton. It is made of bone and is joined to the backbone and ribs.
2. A turtle can't climb out of its shell. The shell is not a house it can leave, like a snail's. It grows as the turtle grows.
3. The shell has two parts. The top is called the carapace and the bottom is called the plastron.
4. Most shells are covered in plates called scutes. Scutes are made of keratin, the same material as your fingernails.
5. Many land turtles can pull their heads and legs inside. Sea turtles can't, because their shells are lower and more streamlined for swimming.
6. Shells keep growing. The rings you sometimes see on scutes are not a reliable way to tell a turtle's age.

Turtle, tortoise or terrapin?

7. "Turtle" is often used for the whole group. Tortoises and sea turtles both belong to it.
8. Tortoises live on land. They have high, domed shells and sturdy, round feet like little elephant legs.
9. Sea turtles live in the ocean. They have flat, smooth shells and flippers for swimming.
10. Freshwater turtles live in ponds and rivers. Many have webbed feet and spend time basking on logs.
11. "Terrapin" is a name for some small turtles that live in brackish water, a mix of fresh and salt water.

Sea turtle facts

12. There are seven kinds of sea turtles. They are the green, loggerhead, hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, olive ridley, flatback and leatherback.
13. The leatherback is the biggest. It can grow to around 2 meters (6 to 7 feet) long, and instead of a hard shell it has a rubbery, leathery back.
14. Sea turtles eat different foods. Green sea turtles mostly eat seagrass and algae when they are adults, hawksbills eat sponges and leatherbacks eat jellyfish.
15. Sea turtles breathe air. They come to the surface to breathe, and a resting turtle can stay underwater for hours.
16. Sea turtles can travel thousands of miles. Some swim across entire oceans.
17. Mother sea turtles return to nest. Scientists think many females go back to the same region where they hatched.

Eggs and babies

18. All turtles lay eggs on land. That includes sea turtles, which crawl up onto beaches.
19. A sea turtle nest can hold around 100 eggs. The mother digs a hole, lays the eggs, covers them with sand and returns to the sea.
20. Temperature can decide if babies are boys or girls. In sea turtles, warmer nests tend to produce more females and cooler nests more males.
21. Hatchlings dig out together. They usually come out at night and head for the sea.
22. Turtle babies get no help from their parents. Turtle parents do not take care of their young after laying the eggs.
23. Very few hatchlings survive to adulthood. Many are eaten by birds, crabs and fish, so only a small number grow up.

Lifespan and habits

24. Turtles have no teeth. They have hard, sharp beaks for biting and tearing food.
25. Some tortoises live a very long time. Large tortoises, like the giants of the Galapagos Islands, can live well over 100 years.
26. Turtles are cold-blooded. They rely on the sun and water to control their body temperature, which is why you see them basking.
27. Some pond turtles spend winter in the mud. They slow down a lot and wait for warm weather.
28. Turtles have a good sense of smell and color vision. They find food using both.

Helping turtles

29. Plastic bags can look like jellyfish. Sea turtles sometimes eat them by mistake, so picking up litter on the beach helps.
30. Many turtles are threatened. Habitat loss, fishing gear, pollution and warming temperatures are some of the problems, and people protect nesting beaches in many places.

Turtle coloring ideas

• Sea turtle shells have great patterns. Try olive, brown and green mixed together, and read what colors make green for easy blends.
• Add a blue-green ocean behind your turtle using what colors make blue.
• Looking for more sea creatures? Try our shark coloring pages or the fun facts about sharks.