Baby turtles are very delicate and fragile. The cold-blooded reptiles belong to the order ‘Testudines.’ They got this name from their distinguished shell on the back. They are touch-sensitive and vulnerable species.

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Mother turtle digs a pit, lays eggs, then covers them with sand to protect the baby turtles. After they hatch, baby turtles or hatchlings stay in the nest for a few days feeding on the yolk attached to the placenta to gain energy. Once they move out of the nest, they travel towards the sea and then come out after they are fully grown adults.

What Baby Turtles Look Like?

At birth, the hatchlings are smaller than an inch and weigh about 15 to 30 grams. Baby turtles have a small pointed head, flapping limbs, and large, hard shell on the back attached to their skin. Their gender is characterized by the temperature and environmental conditions of the nest.

Baby turtles can be of any color, depending on the type of turtle. Usually, turtles range from grey, yellow, olive-green, reddish-brown, and brown to black-black. The shell is sometimes dotted or spotted and may have some patterns on it. The shell is dark-colored, and the lower body has a slightly lighter shade.

Baby turtles do not have teeth but have strong jaws that help them eat and capture their meal. The eye color of male hatchlings can be red, while that of female hatchlings is yellow-brown. Sea turtle hatchlings have more webbed flippers to help them swim faster, while the land hatchlings do not have webbed limbs because they do not have to swim and spend most of the time on land. Land turtle hatchlings can hide in their shells while sea turtles cannot.