Turtle Facts!

1. Red-eared slider turtles are invasive to the PNW

Sir Frederique doesn't know it, but his turtle clan's native home is actually on the other side of the country: from the Mississippi Valley to the Gulf of Mexico. While red-eared sliders are commonly seen in the freshwater ponds and lakes of the Pacific Northwest and San Juan Islands, they are actually an invasive species in those ecosystems. When pet owners realize that caring for a turtle is more work than they imagined, they sometimes release them into the local waterways, but this can endanger native species of turtles, such as the Northwestern Pond Turtle.

Check out this great native turtle recovery program at the Woodland Park Zoo.

For more information about red-eared sliders visit the Washington NatureMapping Program.

2. Turtles can actually feel through their shells

In the story, Frederique's shell was so dense that he could not feel things hitting it. But in real life, because the shell is connected to the turtle's spine, the shell itself contains nerve endings, allowing the turtle to feel what touches its shell. Though it is not quite the same sensitivity as you might feel when something brushes against your skin.

3. Red-eared sliders can grow up to 12 inches in length

Female red-eared sliders are usually the largest in size, and although it is rare, it is possible that a red-eared slider can grow even larger than 12 inches. Sir Frederique was one of these rare exceptions! For that reason, if a person is considering having a turtle, such as a red-eared slider, for a pet, they should be prepared to house a tank that can hold as much as 120 gallons. The rule of thumb is 10 gallons for every inch long.

For more info about how to properly care for a turtle, ask an adult to help you connect and research from an animal care resource such as RESTO-Aquatic Turtle Owners.

4. Turtles can express how they feel

Many people assume that since turtles can't verbally express themselves, such as barking like a dog, or meowing like a cat, that they don't feel certain things. But turtles can express themselves in a few turtley ways. When a turtle is startled or scared, they quickly retract their heads into their shells. But in order to make room inside their shell, they have to expel air from their lungs, so it sounds like they're hissing.

5. Not all turtles are the same

There are a lot of different ways to refer to turtles and it can get confusing. Turtles, tortoises, terrapins, and Sir Fredeirque von Turtlestein are all part of a taxonomic order called Chelonia. Chelonians all have shells, are cold-blooded, and lay eggs. So if you can't remember just call it a Chelonian and you won't be wrong. 😉 Sir Frederique is technically a terrapin, but you can still refer to him as a turtle.

The differences:

Tortoises are herbivores that live on land
Turtles are omnivores that live in the sea
Terrapins are essentially freshwater turtles that live in brackish water

You can find a more detailed explanation at the Tortoise Owner or test some of your Chelonia knowledge with this fun quiz!

6. Turtles cannot survive without their shells

Turtle shells are made of bone and fused to their backbone. A turtle shell is more than its home, it is part of its body. That's why Sir Frederique's shell was not cumbersome, like he thought of it, but rather his greatest strength!

There are different parts to a turtle shell: the carapace (top of the shell) and plastron (bottom of the shell) are fused together by the bridge. The shell is covered in schutes which are made of keratin, just like your hair and nails. The scutes (which they shed as they grow) are what you see when you observe the pattern of a turtle shell.

The Chattahoochee Nature Center has a great article explaining this more, including information about rehab for injured turtles.

(Illustration from World Book, Marion Pahl)

7. Turtle Conservation Inspiration

See what some of my turtle-loving readers from An Eco Minded Childhood did to help save turtles!