What is World Turtle Day? Know why it is celebrated and other unknown facts

World Turtle Day is celebrated annually on May 23. This holiday aims to celebrate these remarkable reptiles. The day is also dedicated to raising awareness about the American Tortoise Rescue, which is a non-profit organisation whose motto is to protect turtles and tortoises all across the globe. On this unofficial holiday, many people choose to donate money to this organisation, or volunteer for other such organisations that promote turtle conservation and protection. However, many organisations simply spend the day enjoying cute turtle pictures on the Internet. After all, there are no such guidelines to celebrate this day. Keep reading to know more about it:

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History of World Turtle Day

The World Turtle Day was founded in the year 1990 by the American Tortoise Rescue, which sponsors this holiday annually. The day was created so that people could not only celebrate turtles but could also join in the projects to protect turtles and tortoises. Since the day it was founded, this organisation reportedly has placed over three-thousand turtles and tortoises into caring homes.

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Facts and Unknown Things About Turtles

• The upper shell of a turtle is known as a carapace, while the lower crust is known as plastron.
• Sea Turtles have special glands which help in removing salt from their drinking water.
• It is observed that Green Sea Turtles can hold their breath up to 5 hours.
• The Leatherback Sea Turtle can weigh more than 2,000 pounds and can travel over 10,000 miles a year.
• Researchers say that not all turtle species can hide their heads in the shells.
• Turtles live mainly in water, while tortoises live on land and terrapins live both on the farm and in water.

How to celebrate World Turtle Day

One of the best ways to celebrate this day is to do something for this species. Many studies say that 70% of all turtle species are facing extinction due to global warming. Hence, this day is a good day to donate money or time to turtle preservation or other such rescue projects and organisations. People can also raise awareness regarding the plight of turtles all over the world by using the hashtag #WorldTurtleDay on various social media platforms. For fun-loving activities, one can have a turtle-themed party or celebration with their family with a turtle-shaped cake and some fun games. One can also paint pictures of turtles, draw or sketch turtles or browse cute turtle pictures on the Internet.

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