Why do turtles have flippers

Scientists have been amazed after discovering the turtles using flippers for hunting. They never have the chance to learn from their seniors, yet they are learning everything on their own. Some believe that a longer lifespan enables them to experiment with many things independently, so they come to know how these things work. Tortoises are the turtles who dwell on the land. They do not rely on water like aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles. Though tortoises fall under the turtle family, they have distinct behavior with their different physical attributes.

As I mentioned earlier, tortoises solely dwell on the land, whereas turtles require water to dwell in. Physically, the shells of tortoises are shaped like domes, which can fit in their entire body.

Whereas the turtles have streamlined bodies to pierce through water current while swimming. When in danger, they are only able to partially retract their body. Tortoises have elephant-like feet. The hind legs are shorter and thicker to bear the heavyweight of the gigantic shells, whereas most turtles have webbed feet or flippers. Most aquatic turtles have webbed feet, which helps them to survive in both land and water.

Though these turtles spend most of their time on the water, they forage on land as well. Species like loggerheads, snapping turtles are found traveling for miles in search of suitable habitat. Their webbed feet help them cross such distances, just like the tortoises.

Sea turtles, on the other hand, have flippers. These flippers have skeletons similar to bones in our fingers. Flippers have several different uses than just locomoting. New footage has revealed that sea turtles use them for holding their prey. Finally, tortoises are land-dwelling turtles that have elephant-like legs.

They walk on toes instead of feet and do not need water to survive like aquatic turtles. When in danger, they can retract their whole body into the shell. Can Turtles Eat Snails? Can Turtles Eat Asparagus? Read These 3 Side Effects First! Can Turtles Eat Crickets? Do They Like It? My never-ending love and fascination with Aquascaping started when I received a red-eared turtle for my 10th birthday. Apart from researching and writing, I spend hours gazing at my 3 turtles.

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Science News. Story Source: Materials provided by PeerJ. Journal Reference : Jessica A. Brooks, John Gaskell, Kyle S. Van Houtan. Limb-use by foraging marine turtles, an evolutionary perspective. PeerJ , ; 6: e DOI: ScienceDaily, 28 March Sea turtles use flippers to manipulate food.