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Leatherback Sea Turtle
By Victor Krumm
The leatherback sea turtle is one of only six remaining species of marine turtles. This massive turtle, which can have flippers nine feet long and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, is more than one hundred ten million years old. It is one of the oldest animals on the planet. When it went to sea the first time, the planet was very different. Instead of today's seven continents, there were two, including the incredible Gondwana supercontinent that included Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, India, New Zealand, Madagascar, Arabia, and India. The first leatherback entered the world's seas 65,000,000 years before the Himalayas were created. It swam the world tens of millions of years before the first dinosaur walked the earth and has been remarkable resilient. It was present when the continents divided into seven and the Atlantic Ocean was created. It is so ancient that the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex did not walk the planet for about four hundred thousand centuries after the first sea turtle. Yes, that is right: 400,000 centuries. It may be the most amazing animal on earth. It is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest reptile on earth and, despite its huge size, swims as fast as the fastest human runner on earth and five times faster than the world's best human swimmer. It is also the champion of migrating creatures and has been tracked 13,000 miles, one way. It can dive to depths that would crush the most modern nuclear submarine like a can. Unfortunately, it is now critically endangered. Costa Rica is taking steps to ensure the survival of this and other sea turtles species. Despite its tiny size, the country has created the world's largest green sea turtle preserve at Tortuguero. It recognizes that Costa Rica ecotourism will play a valuable role in preserving this species. Nevertheless, the question is this: can this most ancient of creatures, that witnessed the birth of the world as we know it, saw the dinosaurs come and go, and survived the greatest mass extinction the world has suffered, survive you and me?
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Leatherback Sea Turtle
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Wow, what an amazing creature! I had no idea turtles could swim so fast. What a shame that humans are endangering a beautiful animal like this.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Actually, it is even more amazing than I mentioned. This is a cold blooded creature that can adapt to waters nearly as cold as the arctic. It developed a mechanism that, literally, can keep its body temperature about 32 degrees warmer than the water around it. Put another way, it can swim in 40 degree water and be a comfortable 72!
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http://krummlaw.qondio.com/
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