Sea Turtles (Prose)

Class 6 | English | Unit 1 | Prose

Class 6 Unit 1 Prose

Sea Turtles

The five attractive kinds of sea turtles found in India's coastal waters are: The Loggerhead, The Olive Ridley, Leatherback, Hawksbill, and Green Sea Turtle.

Warm Up – Talk About

Talk About

1. Have you seen turtles? Where do they live?

2. What do you know about turtles?

3. Why do you think the turtles in the picture have names such as Leatherback and Hawksbill?

Section I – Reading

Listen to the teacher reading this section.

Most of us have seen a tortoise in a zoo or a reptile park. However, not many would have seen its marine relative, the sea turtle. This is not surprising, since these reptiles spend almost their entire life in the sea. There are seven species of marine or sea turtles in the world. Of them, five are found in India's coastal waters: The Olive Ridley, the Hawksbill, the Green Sea Turtle, the Loggerhead and the Leatherback.

Compared to most tortoises, sea turtles are huge. Even the smallest species, the Olive Ridley, weighs up to 35 kilograms when fully grown. The largest of them all, the Leatherback, grows to a length of 2.2 meter and each could weigh as much as 700 kilograms!

Sea turtles live their life entirely in the oceans. But they still have a connection with land – they must come ashore to lay eggs. Today, four of the sea turtle species mentioned above have become extremely rare in India. The Olive Ridleys, however, are still commonly seen nesting on sandy beaches all along our coasts.

Exercise Put a (✓) for the correct and a (✗) for the incorrect statements. 1. Turtles are different from tortoise. 2. Turtles are sea animals. 3. There are seven kinds of sea turtles in the world. 4. Sea turtles are very small. 5. Turtles come ashore to lay eggs. 6. Sea turtles come to rest on land. 7. Olive Ridleys are the only sea turtles seen on Indian shores.

Glossary

marine – found in the sea species – group of animals with common features coastal – land by the edge of a sea Do You Know? – Arribada (Mass Nesting)

In most parts of the world, Olive Ridleys come ashore alone to lay their eggs. However, Odisha is one of the only three places in the world where a phenomenon known as 'mass nesting' or Arribada takes place. On certain nights during the nesting season, thousands of female turtles come ashore simultaneously to lay their eggs on particular beaches.

Section II

Take turns and read this section aloud. Work in pairs and underline the new words. Find out their meanings from the dictionary.

Between the months of January and March, female Olive Ridleys come ashore at night to lay their eggs. This is quite a problem for them, as a turtle's front flippers enable it to swim gracefully and effortlessly but are not very useful for moving on land. The turtle has to haul itself laboriously onto the beach. Then it chooses a spot well away from the high-tide line. Here, it scoops out a nest cavity 45 centimetre deep, into which it lays about 100 eggs. Each egg is in the shape and size of a table tennis ball.

Once all the eggs are laid, the turtle fills in the cavity, then it camouflages the nest by tossing sand on it using its flippers. That done, it returns to the sea. The eggs are left to incubate under the warmth of the sun.

In many places around the world, local people follow the tracks of the turtle to its nest. They collect the eggs for eating. Jackals, domestic dogs and pigs too dig up and eat the eggs by following the scent left by the turtle. Those eggs that escape such people and predators hatch 45-60 days later. The hatchlings slash open the leathery eggshell with the help of a tiny 'egg-tooth'. This is like a razor blade at the tip of a hatchling's snout. When most of the eggs have hatched, the hatchlings push themselves upwards through the sand and emerge on the surface of the beach. From here they make a hurried to the sea.

Glossary

flippers – broad, flat limbs used for swimming haul – pull with force laboriously – with great effort cavity – a hollow space camouflage – hide or disguise something incubate – hatch eggs using warmth predators – animals that kill other animals for food slash – cut snout – pointed nose of an animal emerge – come out Exercise Are these statements right? Discuss with your partner and (✓) them if they are correct. Correct them if they are wrong. Share your answers in class. 1. Female Olive Ridleys come ashore at night to lay eggs. 2. The eggs of an Olive Ridley are in the shape and size of a cricket ball. 3. Ridleys come to lay their eggs in the month of January. 4. The turtles use their flippers and make a hollow for their nests. 5. The hatchlings use a tiny egg-tooth to come out of the eggs. Do You Know?

There is an interesting aspect of sea turtle biology. The temperature inside the egg determines the sex of the embryo while it is growing. When the eggs develop at 27°C – 28°C only male hatchlings are produced. At 30°C only female hatchlings are produced. An equal mix of male and female hatchlings is produced only when the eggs incubate at precisely 29°C - 30°C.

Section III

Read this section in pairs.

Many of these tiny hatchlings, which weigh less than 20 grams each, will not even reach the sea. They will fall prey to crabs or birds even before they reach the water. Most of those that do make it into the water will also be eaten by many predators in the sea within the first few days of their lives. In fact, scientists estimate that only one in every thousand hatchlings becomes an adult. It is perhaps to ensure that enough hatchlings survive to keep the species going that sea turtles lay so many eggs.

After many years of swimming in the open ocean, the female hatchlings that have become adults return to the same beach where they were born. They come there to lay their own eggs. How they manage to find the place after so many years in the sea is one of the many mysteries of these fascinating reptiles!

Sea turtles are among the many wonderful creatures we share this planet with. They have survived natural dangers for millions of years. But, sadly, human activities during the last few decades have put them in grave danger. There are many factors that threaten their survival. People hunt them for their meat or collect their eggs. Sometimes they are accidentally trapped in the nests of motorboats. Problems like pollution, dumping of plastics into the ocean and construction activities on nesting beaches also hurt their survival. Only by systematically tackling these problems, and removing these threats, can we ensure that sea turtles will continue to exist in the years to come.

– Shekar Dattatri

About the Author – Shekar Dattatri

Shekar Dattatri writes popular articles on wildlife, conservation and film making. He has been interested in nature from childhood. He is an award-winning wildlife and conservation filmmaker. For more information on him visit www.shekardattatri.com

Exercise Fill in the table given below.

S.No.	Problems faced by the hatchlings	Effect	Solution
1.	Pollution	Survival of sea turtles becomes difficult.	Reduce the usage of plastics.
2.	Predators
3.	Human Activities

Glossary

survive – continue to live mysteries – facts that are difficult to understand fascinating – attracting greatly decade – a period of ten years

Read and Understand

Exercise A. Choose the correct answers. You may choose more than one answer if needed.

1. The _______ is a biological relative of tortoises.

a. sea turtle b. fish c. reptile

2. In India's coastal waters we can see a species of _______.

a. tortoises b. sea turtles c. dolphin

3. Sea turtles come to the shore to _______.

a. visit their birth place b. lay eggs c. go back to sea

4. It is a problem for sea turtles to come ashore because _______.

a. they find it difficult to walk on sand b. they don't know their way to the shore c. animals and people hunt them

5. A turtle's flippers help it to _______.

a. swim b. dig a nest c. climb

6. A sea turtle camouflages its nest by tossing sand on it to _______.

a. hide its eggs from predators b. incubate eggs in the warmth of the sun c. keep the hatchlings safe

Vocabulary

Exercise B. Find any five words related to sea from the text (Sections I & II). Write them below. Then use the words to frame sentences of your own.

Section 1 Word	Sentence	Section 2 Word	Sentence
Example: beach – We like to play in the sandy beach.

Exercise C. Fill in the blanks with words that convey the correct meaning of the sentences.

1. Tiny hatchlings fall to many predators.

2. Sea turtles live their life in the sea.

3. The turtles come ashore only during the .

4. The predators follow the of the turtles to eat their eggs.

5. The female turtles lay eggs and go back to the .

Exercise D. Use the clues and fill in the crossword puzzle.

Clues:

1. This word rhymes with seen. (5-letter word)
2. This animal has two horns and a spotted coat. (4-letter word)
3. This is a huge sea animal. (5-letter word)
4. Sounds like hair. (4-letter word)
5. Shines brightly. (3-letter word)
6. Rhymes with load. (4-letter word)

Language Check Point

Usage of many, much, few, little, each, every, any, some

Don't Say	Say	Note
I cannot see much stars in the sky.	I cannot see many stars in the sky.	Use many with countable plural nouns. Use much with uncountable nouns.
I have little friends.	I have few friends.	Use few with countable nouns. Use little with uncountable nouns.
Every test contains twenty questions.	Each test contains twenty questions.	Each refers to an individual object or person. Every refers to a group of objects or people.
Is there any lemonade left?	Is there some lemonade left?	Any is used for questions and negatives. Some is used for positives.

Listening

Exercise E. Listen to the flash news. Read the questions given below, then listen to the flash news again and complete the responses.

Flash News – Escaped Monkey

At 10 a.m today, a monkey escaped from the zoo. The zoo keeper was entering the cage to feed the animal when he saw it breaking through the fence. Quickly, he rang up the police station to report the escape. If you see the monkey, you must inform the police on the following number: 180345778

Questions	Option A	Option B
What escaped from the zoo?	a tiger	a monkey
When did it escape?	at 10 p.m	at 10 a.m
How did it escape?	pushed out of the fence	went over the fence
What did the zoo-keeper do?	rang up the police	rang up the warden
When should you call or dial 180345778?	when you see the monkey	to report the escape of the monkey

Speaking

Exercise F. Look at the picture. Work in groups and give a short talk about it using the words given below.

Volunteers of the students' Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) release Olive Ridley hatchlings into the sea.

Words to use: sand, waves, when, as soon as, collect, enjoy, hatchlings, basket, boys, night, rough sea, many, eggs, incubate, hatchery, after

Pictogrammar – Subject and Predicate

Subject and Predicate

The SUBJECT of a sentence is always a noun or a word / words that can take the place of a noun.

The PREDICATE of a sentence includes the verb and the object if there is one.

Use Grammar

Exercise G. Make meaningful sentences from the table given below.

Subject	Predicates
A turtle	live in the sea. / is huge. / have a connection with the land. / are found in coastal waters. / are wonderful creatures. / has flippers to swim.
Turtles	live in the sea. / is huge. / have a connection with the land. / are found in coastal waters. / are wonderful creatures. / has flippers to swim.

Write your sentences below:

Exercise H. Write a suitable sentence for the pictures given below.

Picture 1: A boy is trying to take the glass tumbler from the table.

Picture 2: The glass tumbler is broken into pieces.

Picture 3: An energetic school boy with a bag.

Picture 4: An attractive school with two big trees inside the compound.

Picture 5: A beautiful girl pinpoints her index finger.

Picture 6: A well packed school bag.

Exercise I. Match the two halves of the sentences and read them.

1. Sea turtles
2. Hatchlings
3. A turtle
4. Many factors

Endings to match:

• threaten the survival of sea turtles.
• uses its front flippers to swim.
• come ashore to lay eggs.
• cut open the leathery egg shell.

Writing

Exercise J. Tortoises and Turtles are not the same. Read the facts given below. List the similarities and differences between them.

Tortoise	Turtle
reptile family	reptile family
land animal	sea animal
has a long life	lives for many years
uses tiny feet to walk	uses flippers to swim
eats grass, weeds and flowers	eats insects and bugs

Similarities:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Differences:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Exercise K. Write a paragraph from the contents of the table given above. Frame sentences with these words: but, as well as, whereas.

Example: A turtle as well as a tortoise belongs to the reptile family.

Creative Writing

Exercise L. Describe the picture in about fifty words and give a suitable title. Make use of the words / phrases given below.

The picture shows a colourful image of a school of fish in the sea.

Words / Phrases to use: many, sea, animals, wonders, ocean, fishes, different colours, sizes, varieties, rare species, deep sea, under the sea

Title:

Book-back Exercises — Questions & Answers

Answers generated strictly from the Samacheer Kalvi textbook content. Attempt each question first, then click "Show Answer" to check.

Put a (✓) for the correct and a (✗) for the incorrect statements (Section I)

1. Turtles are different from tortoise.

Answer: ✓ — Sea turtles are the marine relatives of tortoises; though related, they are different — tortoises live on land while sea turtles spend almost their entire life in the sea.

2. Turtles are sea animals.

Answer: ✓ — Sea turtles live their life entirely in the oceans.

3. There are seven kinds of sea turtles in the world.

Answer: ✓ — The text states there are seven species of marine or sea turtles in the world.

4. Sea turtles are very small.

Answer: ✗ — Compared to most tortoises, sea turtles are huge. Even the smallest, the Olive Ridley, weighs up to 35 kilograms when fully grown.

5. Turtles come ashore to lay eggs.

Answer: ✓ — Sea turtles must come ashore to lay eggs.

6. Sea turtles come to rest on land.

Answer: ✗ — Sea turtles do not come ashore to rest; they come only to lay their eggs, then return to the sea.

7. Olive Ridleys are the only sea turtles seen on Indian shores.

Answer: ✗ — While four other species have become extremely rare, Olive Ridleys are still commonly seen; but they are not the only sea turtles found in India's coastal waters — five species are found there in total.

Are these statements right? (Section II) — Discuss and (✓) if correct, correct if wrong.

1. Female Olive Ridleys come ashore at night to lay eggs.

Answer: ✓ — Female Olive Ridleys come ashore at night to lay their eggs between the months of January and March.

2. The eggs of an Olive Ridley are in the shape and size of a cricket ball.

Answer: ✗ — Each egg is in the shape and size of a table tennis ball, not a cricket ball.

3. Ridleys come to lay their eggs in the month of January.

Answer: ✓ — Female Olive Ridleys come ashore between the months of January and March, so January is included in the nesting season.

4. The turtles use their flippers and make a hollow for their nests.

Answer: ✓ — The turtle scoops out a nest cavity 45 centimetres deep using its spoon-like limbs (flippers).

5. The hatchlings use a tiny egg-tooth to come out of the eggs.

Answer: ✓ — The hatchlings slash open the leathery eggshell with the help of a tiny 'egg-tooth', which is like a razor blade at the tip of a hatchling's snout.

Fill in the table — Problems faced by the hatchlings (Section III)

Fill in the table: Problems faced by the hatchlings — Effect and Solution

Answer:

1. Pollution — Effect: Survival of sea turtles becomes difficult. — Solution: Reduce the usage of plastics.

2. Predators — Effect: Hatchlings fall prey to crabs, birds and sea predators; only one in every thousand hatchlings becomes an adult. — Solution: Protect the hatchlings and nesting beaches from predators.

3. Human Activities — Effect: People hunt turtles for meat, collect eggs; turtles are accidentally trapped in fishing nets; construction on nesting beaches hurts survival. — Solution: Systematically tackle these problems and remove these threats to ensure sea turtles continue to exist.

A. Choose the Correct Answers (Read and Understand)

1. The _____ is a biological relative of tortoises.

a) sea turtle b) fish c) reptile

Answer: a) sea turtle

Explanation: The text describes the sea turtle as the marine relative of the tortoise.

2. In India's coastal waters we can see _____ species of _____.

a) tortoises b) sea turtles c) dolphin

Answer: b) sea turtles

Explanation: Five species of sea turtles are found in India's coastal waters: The Olive Ridley, the Hawksbill, the Green Sea Turtle, the Loggerhead and the Leatherback.

3. Sea turtles come to the shore to _____.

a) visit their birth place b) lay eggs c) go back to sea

Answer: b) lay eggs

Explanation: Sea turtles must come ashore to lay eggs; this is their connection with land.

4. It is a problem for sea turtles to come ashore because _____.

a) they find it difficult to walk on sand b) they don't know their way to the shore c) animals and people hunt them

Answer: a) they find it difficult to walk on sand

Explanation: A turtle's front flippers help it swim gracefully but are not very useful for moving on land; the turtle has to haul itself laboriously onto the beach.

5. A turtle's flippers help it to _____.

a) swim b) dig a nest c) climb

Answer: a) swim and b) dig a nest

Explanation: The front flippers enable the turtle to swim gracefully and effortlessly. The turtle also uses its flippers to scoop out the nest cavity and to toss sand to camouflage the nest.

6. A sea turtle camouflages its nest by tossing sand on it to _____.

a) hide its eggs from predators b) incubate eggs in the warmth of the sun c) keep the hatchlings safe

Answer: a) hide its eggs from predators

Explanation: The turtle camouflages the nest by tossing sand on it using its flippers so that predators (like jackals, dogs, pigs and people) cannot easily find and dig up the eggs.

B. Vocabulary — Find five words related to sea from the text (Sections I & II)

B. Find any five words related to sea from the text (Sections I & II). Write them below. Then use the words to frame sentences of your own.

Answer:

Section I:

1. marine — Marine animals live in the sea.

2. coastal — Fishermen live in coastal areas near the sea.

Section II:

3. beach — We like to play on the sandy beach.

4. flippers — The turtle uses its flippers to swim in the ocean.

5. ocean — The ocean is home to many wonderful creatures.

C. Fill in the Blanks with words that convey the correct meaning

1. Tiny hatchlings fall _____ (pray / prey) to many predators.

Answer: prey

2. Sea turtles live their _____ (hole / whole) life in the sea.

Answer: whole

3. The turtles come ashore only during the _____ (night / knight).

Answer: night

4. The predators follow the _____ (sent / scent) of the turtles to eat their eggs.

Answer: scent

5. The female turtles lay eggs and go back to the _____ (see / sea).

Answer: sea

D. Crossword Puzzle — Use the clues and fill in the crossword

D. Use the clues and fill in the crossword puzzle.

Answers:

1. Rhymes with "seen" → GREEN (5 letters)

2. Animal with two horns and a spotted coat → DEER (4 letters)

3. Huge sea animal → WHALE (5 letters)

4. Sounds like "hair" → HARE (4 letters)

5. Shines brightly → SUN (3 letters)

6. Rhymes with "load" → ROAD (4 letters)

E. Listening — Flash news of an escaped monkey (Complete the responses)

E. Listen to the flash news and complete the responses.

Answers:

What escaped from the zoo? ✓ a monkey

When did it escape? ✓ at 10 a.m.

How did it escape? ✓ breaking through the fence (pushed out of the fence)

What did the zoo-keeper do? ✓ rang up the police

When should you call 180345778? ✓ when you see the monkey

G. Use Grammar — Make meaningful sentences from the table

G. Make meaningful sentences from the table given below.
Subject: A turtle / Turtles
Predicates: live in the sea. / is huge. / have a connection with the land. / are found in coastal waters. / are wonderful creatures. / has flippers to swim.

Answers:

1. A turtle is huge.

2. A turtle has flippers to swim.

3. Turtles live in the sea.

4. Turtles have a connection with the land.

5. Turtles are found in coastal waters.

6. Turtles are wonderful creatures.

I. Match the two halves of the sentences and read them.

I. Match the two halves of the sentences and read them.

1. Sea turtles	threaten the survival of sea turtles.
2. Hatchlings	uses its front flippers to swim.
3. A turtle	come ashore to lay eggs.
4. Many factors	cut open the leathery egg shell.

Answers:

1. Sea turtles — come ashore to lay eggs.

2. Hatchlings — cut open the leathery egg shell.

3. A turtle — uses its front flippers to swim.

4. Many factors — threaten the survival of sea turtles.

J. Writing — List the Similarities and Differences between Tortoises and Turtles

J. Tortoises and Turtles are not the same. Read the facts given below. List the similarities and differences between them.

Similarities:

1. Both belong to the reptile family.

2. Both have a long life / live for many years.

Differences:

1. A tortoise is a land animal, whereas a turtle is a sea animal.

2. A tortoise uses tiny feet to walk, whereas a turtle uses flippers to swim.

3. A tortoise eats grass, weeds and flowers, whereas a turtle eats insects and bugs.

K. Writing — Write a paragraph using: but, as well as, whereas

K. Write a paragraph from the contents of the table given above. Frame sentences with these words: but, as well as, whereas.

Answer:

A turtle as well as a tortoise belongs to the reptile family. Both of them live for many years. A tortoise is a land animal, whereas a turtle is a sea animal. A tortoise uses tiny feet to walk, but a turtle uses flippers to swim. A tortoise eats grass, weeds and flowers, whereas a turtle eats insects and bugs.

L. Creative Writing — Describe the picture in about fifty words and give a suitable title

L. Describe the picture in about fifty words and give a suitable title. Make use of the words/phrases given below: many, sea, animals, wonders, ocean, fishes, different colours, sizes, varieties, rare species, deep sea, under the sea.

Title: Wonders Under the Sea

Description: The deep sea is full of wonders. Many sea animals live under the ocean. Fishes of different colours and sizes swim together in groups. The ocean has a wide variety of rare species. These animals are fascinating creatures of nature. The ocean hides countless mysteries and wonders that we are yet to discover and understand.

📝 Summary

1. There are seven species of sea turtles in the world, and five of them — the Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Green Sea Turtle, Loggerhead, and Leatherback — are found in India's coastal waters.
2. Sea turtles are much larger than tortoises; the smallest species, the Olive Ridley, weighs up to 35 kilograms, while the largest, the Leatherback, can grow to 2.2 metres in length and weigh as much as 700 kilograms.
3. Although sea turtles spend almost their entire life in the sea, they must come ashore to lay their eggs, which is their only connection with land.
4. Odisha is one of only three places in the world where a phenomenon called 'Arribada' or mass nesting occurs, during which thousands of female Olive Ridley turtles come ashore simultaneously on certain nights to lay their eggs.
5. Between January and March, female Olive Ridleys come ashore at night, dig a nest cavity 45 centimetres deep using their flippers, lay about 100 eggs (each the size of a table tennis ball), and then camouflage the nest by tossing sand over it before returning to the sea.