A Missive on Sea Turtles

[Hanrahan 2983]

C H A R L E S   N A P I E R , 

 

D O C T O R    O F M E D I C I N E 

 

O N   T H E   S U B J E C T   O F

 

C H E L O N I A   M Y D A S

O R

T H E   G R E E N   S E A T U R T L E

A N D   I T S

L I V I N G   A N D B R E E D I N G

H A B I T S

 

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P R I N T E D    I N L L R Y I A 

 

B Y

 

 L L Y R I A   A C A D E M I C   P R E S S 

 

I N 

 

A N N O   D O M I N I   MDCCXXIX

 

 

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    I N T R O D U C T I O N,

 

Chelonia Mydas - Commonly known as the Green Sea Turtle, is a species of reptile native to most of our coastal and coral ocean regions. Terrestrially, they inhabit the belt of our planet that is categorized as tropical, or subtropical, regions defined by their temperature, and level of rain that they receive. Locally, the greatest populations inhabit the shallow seas around the large southern Island below the mainland of Arcas. Their main diet is sea-grass, upon which they feed vigorously, although they have been known to graze upon kelp. As with most other sea-turtles, they are a migratory species that travel large distances to isolated beaches upon which to lay their eggs - which they do in great numbers. These turtles, alongside most of their brethren, are a remarkably long-lived species, and can live up to seventy years - though such cases are rare in the wild.

 

Charles Napier, Dr, A.D MDCCXV.

 

A Green Sea Turtle, climbing over rocks along the shore.

 

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    The Green Sea Turtle is, as mentioned, a Reptile of the Order Chelonii, or turtles. More locally, they are related to the Hawksbill {Eretmochelys}, Loggerhead {Caretta}, and Napier {Lepidochelys} sea turtles. Now, back to the Green Turtle, the creature itself - at Adulthood, on average - is around five feet long, and can weigh between one-hundred and fifty, to four-hundred pounds, spending on food availability. Unlike terrestrial turtles, they do not have legs, but flippers. As with most terrestrial-aquatic life*, their skeletons are specially adapted to life in a marine environment. Despite having the same pattern of skeleton as all reptiles and mammals - that is to say, five fingers and toes, bilateral symmetry, a spine and such - the shape of them is vastly different from their land-based cousins. Instead of having fingers in a prehensile form as we do, or toes that splay - they have congealed in form to form one long flipper, to propel it through it’s environment with maximum efficiency. However, if the flesh and muscle is removed - it is clear that the bones are separate, and just elongated! 

 

    As for it’s head - it differs again from Terrestrial turtles, in that it cannot retract it’s neck within its shell, instead relying on a leathery, osteoderm covered skull to protect it from hunters. Unlike it’s cousins, the Hawksbill or the Loggerhead, the Green is differentiated by it’s short snout - very close to its eyes, and unhooked beak, as in it does not have an ‘overbite.’ This is most likely due to its diet, which is entirely reliant on grazing soft grasses, instead of predating upon anemones. In common with all types of turtles - depending on the species, the shell formation is different. As the turtle ages, the whole colour of the turtle, both its carapace - shell, and plastron - underside recolouring. In its youth, have a nearly black carapace, with a light, pale cream or yellow plastron. Entering the juvenile stage, the carapace changes from black, or dark brown to an olive - and by adulthood, the carapace can be a variety of colours; entirely brown, mottled brown and red, or marbled with lighter hued rays. The last major point of differentiation from other similar turtles, is the number of claws it has upon the front flippers - two. In others, they only have one.

 

The full skeleton of a Green Turtle.

 

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    The habitat of the Sea turtle is varied, and can be divided into three regions. In their earliest form - as an egg, they live in beaches, buried under sand mounds dug by their mothers. Once hatched, they follow the light of the moon into the ocean and disappear for several years, though some have been seen in juvenile form near flotsam on the open ocean in rare occurrences. It is the last stage that is most well known, of adulthood. In their fully grown state, Sea-Turtles dwell in coral reefs and shallow lagoons, filled with sea-grass, their staple food. In dwelling on the reefs, they graze on the algae that grow over the corals and rocks, and are protected from the more violent outbursts of tropical weather that the lagoons would not protect them from. When inhabiting the lagoons, there is a peculiar type of circular symbiosis involving the turtles - involving the grass, and a variety of sharks as well. Tiger sharks inhabit the sea-grass plains, moving slowly, but dangerous enough to keep the grazing turtles on the move. This constant relocation due to the sharks by the turtles ensures that no one patch of grass is over-grazed, allowing the plains to constantly have a supply of grass for which the turtles can eat. 

 

    As adults, the Turtles have but a few predators - humans, and local large sharks, such as the aforementioned tiger shark. Hatchling turtles however, face a much longer list of predators. From the beach to the water, they undergo predation from crabs, infant otters and seals, and a variety of shorebirds, depending on the location. Once in the water, any number of fish prey upon the tiny turtles. 

 

Sea Turtles underwater, on the edge of the Reef.

 

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    The life cycle of the turtle may be the most impressive thing about the animal, considering the lengths, and journey mother turtles undergo to reproduce. Between nesting sites and feeding sites, the distances can grow to over a thousand miles, the turtles of course, swimming the entire way. The most remarkable thing however, is that a ‘turtle’ beach is a most enduring prospect - every turtle hatched from one beach in particular, will, if female, return to the very same beach upon which she was hatched. The females of the species will make this journey every four years, whereas the males will arrive every year, in an attempt to find a partner. Differing regional populations stagger their arrivals - so every year, the males have someone to mate with. As to the beaches themselves, they must be sandy, elongated, flat-ish, and close to water. For the mating process, the female determines who she mates with, and this process occurs in the water. Once mated, she crawls onto the beach, along with several hundred - to several thousand of her sisters, and begins to dig a hole in a select point on the beach. The hole haven been dug, she deposits her eggs - between eighty to two-hundred of them, depending on age, and strength, then covers them up and returns to the ocean. 

 

    For Green Sea turtles, their eggs are nearly completely spherical, and bone white, around two inches in diameter. After fifty to seventy days - the eggs hatch, all of them at once, only at night. From there, the hatchling turtles follow the light of the moon, hanging over the ocean to guide them into the water. It is this period which accounts for the majority of predation. 

 

A Green turtle hatchling, emerging from the egg.

 

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    A danger, in some recent years is shore-development in nesting zones, and the building of lighthouses. In some regions, the beachheads of turtle sites have been built over, or filled with the detritus of descendant living, be they whale-bone dumping yards, dockyards, or fishing communities. This, of course, renders the breeding impossible, and upsets the natural cycle of generations in the turtles propagation. Another difficulty, is with lights near shore-areas, ranging from high lantern concentrations, to lighthouses. It seems that infant turtles, although supposedly guided by the light of the moon - are not so sensitive that they cannot be led astray. The beam of a non-rotating lighthouse, or other light concentrations close to nesting beach-heads can lure the turtles in the opposite direction from the ocean, where they will certainly be preyed upon to diminishing numbers. 

 

    Areas in which turtle nesting grounds are known should be, by state prerogative, be banned from having lights within at least a thousand yards, and have light-houses turned off on the night of their hatching.

 

A Hatchling moving towards the ocean.

 

 

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[lemonke 6014]

“Spicy” an elf comment

[ThatFunkyBunch 2818]

"Now this, this brings me joy."

[Cat Evocation 3728]

Sarrion would read the missive whilst eating his turtle soup out of a turtle shell.

[PosidonX7 269]

1 minute ago, Tox said:

Sarrion would read the missive whilst eating his turtle soup out of a turtle shell.

[Reckless Banzai Screamer 15456]

Mayor Odus becomes passionate about the conservation of green sea turtles and orders a book for the Monastery of St. Robert’s Library!

 

 

[Vermy 1484]

Horren ‘Rosebush’ Bogbelly reads the print, his eyes glowing with joy ”Glad ta see mur students uf nature..” he said writing down some notes in his ledger