The legs of the green sea turtle are well-adapted for swimming
When I think of a drawing of a sea turtle, normally people will draw it to look just like this. That’s why I love this photo. With its four arms fully extended, the green sea turtle is ready to take the next stroke to propel it forward in the water. Being overhead (I was floating at the surface of the water for a snorkel), I was able to capture a great photo for examining the anatomy of the green sea turtle. Laid out here are its four legs, its tail, and its head. Let’s talk about the anatomy of a green sea turtle.
The legs of the green sea turtle are well-adapted for swimming. The forelegs of the green sea turtle are its propulsion devices. They are paddle-like in shape. By making strokes with their forelegs, these sea turtles can reach speeds of up to fifteen miles per hour! For the green sea turtle, the back legs are smaller and serve as rudders. They help to change the direction and speed that the sea turtle is moving through the water. When they come on shore to lay their eggs, they are not built for speed. They will make strokes with their legs to propel themselves up onto the coast. They then use their limbs to dig a hole before laying their eggs. Other uses of their legs are for holding their prey and in assisting with foraging. Just like humans, there are five metacarpals in each flipper.
The tail of a green sea turtle is an important part of its anatomy. It is one of the sexual dimorphisms that exist between the males and females. Males have a long tail, while the female is known to have a shorter tail. Based on this information, I would guess that this is a female green sea turtle. For both males and females, the tail contains a cloaca. This posterior opening is used for digestive, urinary, and reproductive tracts. This means that the tail is important for reproduction for green sea turtles.
The head of the green sea turtle is designed for its life below the sea. It has a pair of scales that the dorsal surface of its head that helps to provide protection. Its mouth contains no teeth, but instead a beak. This is perfect for its diet of seagrasses and algae as an adult. They don’t have any apparent ears, but they do have one ear bone called the columella. This allows them to hear low frequency sounds. They can also detect sound through vibrations in the head, backbone, and shell. The nose of the turtle has two openings. Through sensory cells called Jacobson’s organ, the green sea turtle is able to smell by pumping water in and out of its nose.
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