Sea Turtle Animal

(mellow music) - [Narrator] Sea turtles are ancient mariners. Present in all but Earth's coldest oceans, these marine reptiles are well-adapted to a life on the move. (dramatic music) Sea turtles have existed since the time of the dinosaurs. The earliest known marine turtle lived about 120 million years ago. Named Desmatochelys padillai, it was six feet long and had the characteristic features of modern sea turtles including a carapace, or a top shell, and paddle-like limbs. Today, there are seven species of sea turtles with the largest being the leatherback. Growing as long as eight feet and weighing up to 2,000 pounds, it is larger than known fossils of its prehistoric ancestor, the padillai. Sea turtles can lay more than 150 eggs at a time. Called the clutch, these large egg deposits help ensure the survival of sea turtle hatchlings. Once a female lays her eggs, she returns to the se