Turtles Coloring Pages
Welcome to my turtle coloring pages section.
A turtle's shell is part of its skeleton, grown right onto its ribs and backbone, so it can never take it off. Some turtles live in ponds and oceans and some, called tortoises, stay on dry land. You'll find both here, from sea turtles with flippers to slow, domed tortoises.
Jump to: Galapagos Tortoises | Sea Turtles | Myths and Stories | Fun Facts
earth and sea turtle with quote
When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world. ~John Muir
Galapagos Tortoises
Galapagos tortoises are the biggest tortoises in the world, with shells that can stretch about four feet long. On islands with tall cactus, the tortoises have shells that curve up at the front like a saddle, so they can stretch their necks high to reach it.
Sea Turtles
Sea turtles can't pull their heads and flippers into their shells the way pond turtles can, so they depend on being fast swimmers instead. Their flippers work like wings, pushing them through the water so smoothly that it looks like flying.
Turtles from Myths and Stories
Many Indigenous nations in North America call the continent Turtle Island, because their stories say the land grew on a turtle's back. In the Haudenosaunee story, Sky Woman fell from the world above and birds caught her. A great turtle offered its back for her to land on, and the animals took turns diving down for mud to spread across its shell until it grew into the first land. In many versions it's the muskrat who finally brings the mud up. Each nation tells it a little differently.
earth and sea turtle with quote
When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world. ~John Muir
Native American folklore coloring pages
Hermes (Greek God)
Stories say the very first lyre was made from a tortoise shell, and a baby god built it. Hermes was only a day old when he stretched strings across a shell and played the first tune on the first lyre. It sounded so lovely that even the gods stopped to listen, and his very busy first day had barely started...
Turtles show up in other old stories too. In Hindu stories Vishnu became a giant turtle called Kurma and carried a whole mountain on his back while the gods churned the sea. In Chinese stories the Black Tortoise guards the north, one of four guardian animals of the sky.
Fun Facts About Turtles
Well done on coloring those beautiful turtles! As you've discovered the different types of turtles, here are some fun facts to share with your friends and family:
- There are about 350 species of turtles and tortoises worldwide, and they live in oceans, rivers, forests and deserts.
- Turtles have been around for over 200 million years, making them one of the oldest reptile groups on Earth.
- The largest living turtle is the leatherback sea turtle, which can grow up to about 7 feet long and weigh well over 1,000 pounds.
- A turtle's shell is made up of around 50 to 60 bones, including its ribs and backbone, which are fused right into the shell.
- Some tortoises can live for more than 100 years, making them among the longest-living animals on Earth.