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- the earliest turtles being known from around 215 million years ago, making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups
- About 300 species are alive today; some are highly endangered. Turtles are ectothermic or cold-blooded, which means that their body temperature changes with their environment.
- The largest chelonian is a marine turtle, the great leatherback sea turtle, which reaches a shell length of 200 cm (80 inches) and can reach a weight of over 900 kg.
- Turtles vary widely in size, although marine turtles tend to be relatively bigger animals than their land and freshwater relatives.
- Even though many spend large amounts of their lives underwater, all turtles and tortoises are air-breathing reptiles, and must surface at regular intervals to refill their lungs with fresh air. They can also spend a lot of their lives on dry land.
- Turtles lay eggs, like other reptiles, which are slightly soft and leathery. In some species, temperature determines whether an egg develops into a male or a female: a higher temperature causes a female, a lower temperature causes a male.
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