Typically turtles live to be anywhere between 10 and 100 years old. However how long a turtle lives also depends on whether or not they are turtles or tortoises and also can depend upon the particular species as well as their environment, diet, and health. It is evident that turtles can and do live for longer periods of time than most other living beings or animals on earth, as they have been around long before the dinosaurs inhabited earth and are estimated to have been around for at least 270 million years so far.

Some sea turtles have been said to live to be the age of 150 or so while land turtles have been said to be able to reach the age of 110. The large tortoises from the Galapagos Islands are one of the species that can live to be the oldest, with the ability for some to live for more than 200 years. Some American box turtles have been documented over the age of 100 years old. Most sea turtles will live to be at least 75. Your common domesticated turtle, for example red-eared sliders usually live to be about 40 years old or more if they have received proper care and are healthy.

Whether or not turtles actually can recognize people is something that is often disputed and also something that nobody really knows for sure. Some have suggested that turtles do not necessarily “recognize people” in the same way that we humans recognize other people, however like most animals they are able to acquire an understanding of who feeds them and some may even begin to warm up to allowing themselves to be touched.

However typically most turtles do not really like to be touched, especially on their shells and will hiss as a warning for their predators or pet owner to back off. It has been said that turtles lack the cognitive ability and emotional depth to have the understanding of recognition. Since they are wild animals, they are used to fending for themselves in the wild, but when they become domesticated they quickly learn that people are the new providers of their food and may appear to be excited when it is feeding time.

Many pet owners have often mistaken this type of behavior as affection, however most will quickly find out that once the turtle has been fed they will often prefer to be alone and act as such.

Feeding celery to your turtle will not necessarily harm him or her, however there are a few things to consider. The first thing to consider is that celery has very little nutritional value to it as it is made up of a lot of water. It is for this reason that celery should never become a staple in a turtle’s diet. Rather, it should only be used if you happen to run out of another vegetable or on rare occasions as a treat to mix things up a bit.

The second thing to consider is that it needs to be cut up very small. A good portion to provide your turtle with is roughly about half of the size of the turtle’s head. This is the safest serving size for a turtle, as anything larger could cause them to choke and result in death.

The last thing to consider about celery kind of goes along with the first thing. Celery is more of filler than anything else and it will not do much for your turtle’s health or his or her appetite. If your turtle eats some celery chances are in a few hours and maybe even less he or she is going to be hungry again.

It is true that turtles love vegetables and should be given vegetables at least once daily, however green leafy veggies such as romaine lettuce, and green lettuce, and red leaf lettuce are better choices. Iceburg lettuce should not be given to turtles, as it contains about the same amount of water and nutritional value as celery does.

It is actually impossible for turtles to jump. This is due to the fact that they have a shell that is many times heavier than the weight of their bodies. It would be like carrying a two hundred and fifty pound or three hundred pound sandbag. Jumping while holding such a thing would not only be physically impossible just for the turtle, but for most of the world as well. Although turtles are not able to jump, they are able to do many other things. For instance, many are fast swimmers and can move through the water quickly and efficiently.

Turtles are able to eat apples however they should only be given these on rare occasions if not at all. If you do choose to feed apples to your turtle there are a few things to consider beforehand. For instance, they should only be fed pesticide free apples that are raw and contain no seeds! If a turtle eats an apple any other way it can cause harm to its digestive system and even cause illness.

Turtles are not built with enzymes that can break down foods that are high in sugar content and acid. This is a very important reason that turtles should only be given things like fruits every once in awhile if not at all. If given apples or other fruits too frequently, it can cause the turtle’s stomach to bloat up and this is very painful for your turtle and can also lead to other complications.

If fed anything that contains pesticides it can poison your turtle and can even cause them to die. If you have fed something to your turtle that you think has caused it harm or made it ill a veterinarian that knows a lot about reptiles should be contacted immediately as they will know what can be done to help your turtle and can also help in advising you on what types of foods your turtle should and should not be eating. One fruit that turtles should never be fed are watermelons.

If you have decided to give your turtle an apple or other type of fruit as a treat, you should always supervise your turtle while he or she is eating it just to make sure that everything is going okay. It is also advised to chop the apple up into smaller pieces so that they do not eat the core when they get to the end of the apple. You never know, your turtle could choke on an apple core so to be on the safe side its best not to feed them apples with the core or the seeds.

Turtles are oviparous creatures which means that they do in fact lay eggs. However they lay eggs with little or no embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of all turtles, along with most other reptiles.

All turtles lay eggs on land, and for many species this requires a lot of hard labor. During the egg laying process the mother turtle digs a pit and lays many eggs in a “nest” or byu burrowing them into the sand so that they are hopefully well hidden from predators. The mother turtle then returns to the water (if she is an aquatic turtle).

The hatching turtles have what is known as an “egg tooth” at the end of their beaks that helps them break open their eggs when it is time for them to hatch. Later they lose this tooth. For turtles that reside in the water, the process of reproducing can be very exhausting as it requires the mother turtle to drag themselves ashore, dig a pit, lay the eggs, and then drag themselves back to the water.

Once the aquatic baby turtles hatch they follow the light of the moon to walk out to sea. Many die during this process because they get lost or confused due to all of the artificial light sources we humans have created near the water, such as hotel lights, etc. They mistake it for the moon’s light and end up getting hurt or eaten by predators.

Turtles can feel throughout their shells however their shells are covered in a layer of keratin (similar to fingernails). However something to consider is that turtles can tell when something is touching their shell, and they generally do not like it. This can cause some turtles to act aggressively.

Turtles also do not have nerve endings in their shells but touching it causes a shift in the tissues that keep it attached to their bodies. This can be compared to the way you cannot feel your hairs or fingernails being touched but rather them being pushed or pulled from the tissues that they are rooted in.

Basically turtles are able to feel through their shells but they will not feel a lot of sensitivity during it. Sensation does transmit through the turtle’s shell however for many this is a sensation that they would prefer to avoid. Some turtles do however enjoy being scratched in the joints between their scutes, especially when they are growing.

Turtles do have ears, however unlike most other animals they do not have “outer ears” that stick out of the side of their heads. This is probably why many believe that turtles do not have ears since they are not easily visible.

Turtles have “inner ear” mechanisms that other animals have. They also have the auditory nerve and brain center that is required to hear. The outer ear gathers sound vibrations which makes them louder. What this means is that turtles do not hear airborne sounds, however they do sense and interpret vibrations within their environments. Hearing isn’t as important to turtles as they have very keen sense of vision and smell. The brain center for hearing in a turtle is quite small in comparison.

A turtle has 3 ears. Two which are internal located on the sides of their head (small holes) and one on their nose.

Turtles are cold blooded reptiles whose body temperature changes with their surroundings. It is for this reason that they do indeed require a heating lamp. All turtles require a good All UV spectrum light in order to keep their water temperature somewhere between 75 top 95 degrees Fahrenheit, it is for this reason that a good water heater is also a must. Turtles are unable to digest their food properly when their surroundings are less than 75 degrees.

Keeping a heating lamp, a basking area, and a water heater are all crucial to a turtle’s health and well being. Leaving a heat lamp or UV light on for 8 to 12 hours a day and turning it off at night should be enough to keep your turtle’s body and tank at the proper temperatures.