Turtles and inexorably linked with humans. They are the one reptile just about everyone likes. Due to their long lifespan and slow movement, they are an emblem of longevity and stability in many cultures. Unlike so many reptiles of past ages, they did survive. For many of us they are a commonplace animal and consequently many have ceased to be amazed by them.
For centuries they have been a source of food and income, whether selling a turtle as a pet or showing tourists a sea turtle laboriously digging its nest. In the 1800’s turtles and eggs were commonly harvested for consumption. In addition, the fat and eggs were boiled down to make oil for burning in the lamp posts of Manaus in the Amazon. In some cultures, turtles are an object of veneration to be protected and fed in the grounds of a temple. Turtles feature in indigenous art. In Papua New Guinea, turtle shells are used for making ceremonial masks. In Australia, turtles feature in indigenous artwork and on artefacts.
Though turtles may never look busy, they are ecological movers and shakers, thanks to their digging and moving between land and water. Turtles have an important position in the food web, and occupy positions as herbivores, carnivores and/or omnivores. Some turtles eat seeds and where they defecate they are adding to the landscape. Many species are great scavengers eating up dead fish from lakes and rivers. There may not be as many species of turtles in a river as fish, but the biomass (that is the total quantity or weight of organisms in a given area) of turtles is generally very high in comparison with other vertebrates. This is an important measure as a greater biomass commonly results in a greater impact on ecosystem processes.
Turtles matter because of what they are; because of their role in the natural word and because of their impact on societies. Many species are struggling to persist in the modern world. Scientists estimate 61% of the world’s turtle species are threatened or have become extinct. Though they’ve outlasted dinosaurs, no turtle has time to evolve to avoid being killed on a road.
