Turtles

This passage describes the history of turtles.

Lexile Level: 840L

Categories: History Animals & Nature

Do you have a pet turtle? If not, maybe you have seen a turtle while you were walking in the woods. Sometimes they are hard to see because the color of their shell blends in with their surroundings. Turtles move very slowly, and this can be dangerous if they are crossing the road. Turtles have been on earth since the dinosaurs. The first turtles existed in the Triassic Period, around 248 million years ago. Turtles are reptiles covered with a protective, bony shell that grows out from their ribs. There are 300 species of turtles alive today, and some of them are endangered. Endangered means that there are not many of these animals left on earth, and if they all die, there will be no more of that species left. Turtles have long lives. Water turtles live 30 to 40 years. Box turtles and tortoises live 50 to 100 years. So the next time you see a turtle, just think, that turtle might be older than your grandparents!