In Part 2 of this series we had a brief outline of two sea turtles - the leatherback and the hawksbill. You would find it interesting to read about these creatures and their relatives in a book from the library. Now we will look at two more sea turtles.
The loggerheads are not nearly as large as the leatherbacks, but their way of life is similar. They are only about three feet long and are in the 150- to 500-pound range. Their shells and the tops of their stubby heads are brownish-black, but their bodies are dark orange, speckled with brown.
Loggerheads are found in warm areas of the Atlantic Ocean along North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, some areas of the Pacific Ocean, and all the way down to Australia. Their name comes from their immense head and beak, extending from under the shell.
Their choices of food include jellyfish and sometimes the huge man-of-war, whose deadly, long tentacles can kill a man. But the loggerhead considers these creatures a delicacy, munching away on them and killing them.
For some unknown reason, this one species of turtle does not always return to the same nesting places as other sea turtles do. However, their way of laying eggs in the sand is identical.
The green sea turtle is the most appealing of them all. It is relatively small, a little over three feet long and weighs from two hundred to four hundred pounds. It lives in tropical seas all over the world and is well-known in many lands, with Hawaii and Panama being two of its favorite areas.
Its entire body is quite pretty, beginning with a dark-green head, marked with checkerboard diamond shapes having golden-yellow borders. Its large, sloping shell is the same color of green and has similar markings, only the diamond shapes are much larger and look as though they had been placed separately on the shell. Flippers and tail are also slightly green with a black tint. It is easy to see where the name “green sea turtle” came from.
A Bible verse states, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:1111Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11)). Let us remember Him, the Creator, when we enjoy the interesting things He has placed on earth and give Him praise and honor, not only from our lips, but from our hearts as well. He is worthy of our praise for His great love to us and His desire to have us accept Him as our Lord and Saviour.
ML-02/22/2004