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Genre: Pets & Animals
License: Standard YouTube license
Family friendly? Yes
Shared December 26, 2024
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When a baby sea turtle is swept to shore and into the waiting pincers of a hungry crab, a life-or-death struggle ensues.
Mother sea turtles abandon their eggs after laying them and burying them in sand, leaving the newborns to fend for themselves when they hatch – assuming they aren't eaten by predators before they even get the chance
The process of hatching itself is a challenge: the turtles must first use a temporary tooth called a caruncle to break out of their shell and then spend several days digging their way out of the sand.
Once free, the babies orient themselves with the brightest horizon they can see and head in that direction. Assuming the lure of bright land-based lights (such as beach fires or traffic lights) doesn't lead them farther ashore, the turtles will make their way to sea, where strong currents carry them away – if they're lucky. They will often spend years maturing before returning to land.
If they're not so lucky, they'll be washed back up on shore, where hungry crabs and birds await. The fortunate few that do make it to adulthood, however, have the potential to live for over a century.
All those natural threats are compounded by the damage caused by human activity, and many sea turtle species are now classified as endangered by the IUCN.
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