Sea Turtles an Eco-Creature

• Sea turtles live in the ocean. They have flippers for swimming. Some sea turtles weigh less than half a kilogram. Others can be 3 meters long and weigh almost 1,000 kilograms.
• Sea turtles have no teeth. They have a hard edge on their jaw. This lets them eat animal's likes snails, fish and crabs.
• Sea turtles do not eat every day. They can live for a whole month without eating. When there is plenty of food, they eat more and grow big.
• Sea turtles have a hard outer shell. They can pull their head, flippers and tail inside their shell. The shell protects them from their enemies. Some sea turtles live longer than humans.
• Female turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs. They do this during high tide. It is hard for them to travel on land. They dig a hole in the sand for their eggs.
• Sea turtle can lay up to 200 eggs. The laid eggs are called a clutch. Birds and small animals eat turtle eggs.
• The eggs hatch in several months. Baby turtles dig out of the sand. They hurry towards the water. Once in the water, they swim and are on their own.
• Sea turtles become mature in ten years. Scientists believe that sea turtles have a good sense of smell. Their eyes are also good, and they can see colors.
• Sea turtles do not make sounds. When mating, they may grunt or bark. A few sea turtles can give a loud cry of anger.
• Green turtles can swim 400 kilometers in one week. Sea turtles have a good sense of location. They migrate every year.
• Some people eat turtle meat. Turtle eggs are also prized as food. Many types of sea turtles are endangered. We now try to find ways to protect them.

Coral cannot live in the air

• Corals look like plants. But corals are animals. Corals live in the water. They cannot live in the air.
• Corals come in many shapes. They have a hard body. It is called a skeleton. The coral on the beach is a skeleton.
• Some corals are soft. They feel like jelly. Sea fans are soft corals. They live on coral reefs.
• Some corals are hard. They feel like rocks. Bubble corals are hard corals. They live on coral reefs, too.
• Hard coral can be sharp. Ships can sink whey they hit reefs. Sharp coral can hurt divers. Some corals are poisonous.
• Coral reefs look like gardens. Coral reefs live in warm water. Coral likes moving water. Water brings food to the coral.
• There are three main types of coral reefs. One is a fringing reef. Fringing reefs are hooked to land. Many different corals live on this type of reef.
• The second type of reef is a barrier reef. There is water between the barrier reef and land. Barrier reefs are very large. The Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea near Australia is more than 1600 kilometers long.
• The third type of reef is an atoll. An atoll is shaped like a ring. There is water in the ring. People live on some big atoll.
• There are many colors in coral reefs. Red coral is expensive. It is cut and polished. It is used to make rings and necklaces.
• Coral reefs are made up of living animals. They can be damaged. Boats and divers can harm them. We now try to protect coral reefs.