Post #14237

Leatherback Turtle: Its mouth is a portal to hell. But that's how she conquered the entire ocean I don’t envy anyone who dreams of the mouth of a leatherback turtle. The throat studded with thorns does not at all invite you to look deeper, causing only one desire - to run away as fast as you can. But, as often happens in life, appearances are deceiving. In fact, the heroine of our topic is an excellent student, a Komsomol member, an athlete and just a good turtle. The leatherback turtle seemed to have set itself the goal of collecting all the Oscars of the animal world, becoming the very best in several categories at once. Let's start with the fact that this is the largest living representative of the Turtle order and one of the largest reptiles in principle. Its size can reach 2.5 meters (average 1.5 m), and weight - up to 700 kg (average 350-500 kg). The span of the flippers reaches a whopping 2.7 m, thanks to which turtles are able to reach speeds of up to 35 km/h, while still managing to maneuver deftly in the water. True, in fairness it must be said that for such indicators the leatherback needs to be highly motivated. Usually the speed of movement does not exceed 10 km/h. The carapace is dark brown, almost black, shield-shaped, with seven sharp longitudinal ridges on the dorsal side and five on the ventral side. It consists of many bone plates, closely but at the same time movable, articulated with each other and covered with skin. Due to this unusual structure, the reptile’s armor expands when breathing and contracts under strong pressure. And here another record awaits us: leatherbacks are one of the deepest sea animals that breathe atmospheric air, second only to the beaked whale, sperm whale and elephant seal. They are able to dive towards the center of the Earth to a depth of up to 1200 m, without fear of being flattened into a cake. Now let’s dive into the inner world of the turtle itself. Yes, yes, we will finally reveal the secret of this terrible mouth. Reptiles feed mainly on jellyfish. How are jellyfish different? That's right, increased slipperiness and snotty. How to hold and swallow such an actively moving jelly? Make a portal to hell from the mouth! The turtle's throat and esophagus are studded with sharp spines that are curved inward. It looks creepy, and for jellyfish it’s also deadly. Having caught on the thorns with a jelly-like body, they can no longer get back out. But let's get back to counting medals and cups. The distribution range of leatherback turtles is the widest among all sea turtles in principle. The species is found in all tropical and subtropical oceans from the southernmost tips of Africa and New Zealand to Alaska and Norway in the north. Let’s not forget that the turtle also regularly dives to depths where temperatures tend to zero, and we open our mouths in amazement. How can a cold-blooded animal, which all reptiles are, be able to maintain mobility at such low temperatures? The