What do Sea Turtles Eat?
Can you imagine holding your breath underwater for three hours? It may seem impossible, but sea turtles can spend up to three hours underwater without coming up for air. Sea turtles are reptiles that breathe air through lungs like humans, but swim underwater for long periods of time hunting for food. What do sea turtles eat?
Seven different types of turtles live in the water, and many sea turtles have jaws that are specifically designed for a particular diet.
What do Hawksbill Turtles Eat?
Hawksbill turtles have jaws that look similar to a hawk’s beak. This narrow and curved design helps the turtle get food from hard to reach crevices. Hawksbill turtles feed off of sponges, shrimp and squid found around coral reefs. Hawksbill turtles are often called spongivores, because their diets consist of soft, spongy sea animals.
What do Leatherback Sea Turtles Eat?
Leatherback turtles have jaws that are similar to scissors. These turtles use their jaws to spear jellyfish and other soft-shelled animals. Leatherbacks must stick to a soft diet to prevent their jaws from being damaged. Because of their jellylike diet, leatherbacks are often called gelatinivores.
What do Other Sea Turtles Eat?
Green sea turtles have jaws with jagged edges that cut through sea grasses, algae and seaweed. Green sea turtles are the only adult turtles that are herbivores, or exclusive plant eaters.
What do Other Sea Turtles Eat?
Loggerhead turtles use their powerful jaws to crush crab, jellyfish, mollusks and shrimp. As adults, loggerheads prefer an all meat diet.
What do Other Sea Turtles Eat?
Flatback sea turtles are omnivores that eat plants and animals including seaweed, sea cucumbers, crab, cuttlefish, shrimp and soft corals.
What do Other Sea Turtles Eat?
Olive ridleys are also omnivores, and they eat plants and animals like algae, fish, lobster, crab and urchins.
What do Other Sea Turtles Eat?
Kemp Ridley turtles are carnivores that use their strong jaws to crush crab, shrimp, fish and mollusks.
