World Turtle Day Raises Awareness Of Conservation Of Turtles & Tortoises [Fun Facts]

Happy World Turtle Day! May 23 celebrates and raises awareness for the little reptiles we’ve come to adore. However, their population is quickly diminishing. The American Tortoise Rescue has sponsored this day since 2000 in order to spread knowledge on the conservation of turtles and tortoises.

The American Tortoise Rescue strongly discourages purchasing turtles from pet stores for two reasons. The first being that it increases the demand for capturing wild turtles and sold in the marketplace. Second, the turtle’s tendency to outlive humans ultimately destines the reptile for abandonment, which ends in death by starvation.

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One hundred twenty-nine of around 300 species of turtles and tortoises are either currently vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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Not that you need any more reasons to love the little guys, but here are a few fun facts on turtles and tortoises.

1. Turtles have the longest lifespan of any animal and have been walking on Earth for at least 200 million years.
2. The turtle’s shell acts as their spine and ribcage, which is made up of 50 bones in total. The nerve endings in their shell aid their sense of touch in order to detect predators or while hunting for food.
3. Although tortoises normally travel alone, a group of them is called a “creep.”
4. The Roman military had a defense mechanism inspired by the tortoise; the testudo (latin word for tortoise) formation situated the men in rows to hold up their shields either upward or in front of them to keep everyone protected.
5. A tortoise is a turtle, but a turtle isn’t a tortoise.