Turtles used to live on land until the dinosaurs pushed them off!

The turtle’s ancestry can be traced back over 220 million years, and has changed significantly in that time. Turtles were originally land animals, however could not lead a fruitful life among the dangers of the dinosaurs. 

Thus, they slowly evolved to become more compatible with water. The largest turtles can reach over 6.6 feet long and weigh up to 2,000 pounds! While most people think they are sea dwelling creatures, many could survive just fine on land. 

In fact, turtles are born on land in eggs. Once their eggs hatch, the baby turtles slowly crawl toward the ocean hoping to make it to the water alive. However, less than half survive, but fortunately for the turtles it gets easier from their, the first few hours being the most dangerous of their lives! 

One of the biggest predators for turtles are not wild animals, but humans. Poachers look around beaches and steal turtle eggs, because they're a delicacy in certain places. Many countries have started awareness campaigns to prevent this problem from happening. Although some progress has been made, some species are still very endangered. 

(Source)