Teenage Magnet Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Heroes in a half shell

Turtle power!

I think that’s how that theme song starts anyway! You may be wondering why I’m talking about a bunch of human sized turtles, the reason being is that I was reminded of those freaky turtles in something I read today. It has been proven that sea turtles use the earth’s magnetic field to determine where to nest. I don’t know why it reminded me of large talking turtles that fight using ninja weapons but it did, using a magnetic field to find their nesting spot is just as amazing as talking fighting turtles right?

In a study of loggerhead sea turtles it shows they leave their home beaches, migrate over entire ocean basins before returning to their home beaches when they’re of age and nesting season occurs (Brothers & Lohmann, 2015). I don’t know about you but I couldn’t find the place I was born even if I had a map and a Sherpa! This study occurred over 19 years to get an accurate result which is a long time to follow turtles in my opinion!

It was shown that sea turtles nesting density vary with slight changes in Earth’s magnetic field. If a magnetic field grew smaller the turtles nesting became more condensed and if the magnetic field grew further apart the nesting became more spread out (Brothers & Lohmann, 2015). Those results show that sea turtles use geomagnetic cues to find their nesting beaches. The most likely explanation is that they imprint on their natal beaches unique magnetic signature and then use that imprint it find that beach when nesting season occurs (Brothers & Lohmann, 2015).  Similar mechanisms may explain natal homing in diverse long-distance migrants (Brothers & Lohmann, 2015), so other animals may also use the earth’s magnetic fields which are amazing!

 These little guys swim an oceans distance away and still find their way home, that’s as amazing as talking turtles and even more amazing because it’s actually true, that being said maybe the ninja turtles are just good at hiding in that sewer of theirs!? 

                              Teenage ninja turtles have nothing on sea turtles pretty much

                               using magnets to find their way home!

Thanks for reading,

Bye bye now

P.S. Go Greenbay, that’s relevant because their green like turtles!

 Brothers, J. R., & Lohmann, K. J. (2015). Evidence for Geomagnetic Imprinting and Magnetic Navigation in the Natal Homing of Sea Turtles. Amsterdam: Elsevier