This giant turtle could live to 100 years old, possibly thanks to taking long sleeps on the seabed
Type: Reptile
Size: 4.6m
Diet: Omnivorous
Predators: Mosasaurs and sharks
Lived: Late Cretaceous, 75-65 million years ago
Archelon was a slow mover and found most of its food drifting near the sea surface. It had little need to dive deep except when hibernating on the seabed. It was an omnivorous grazer, sweeping up drifting fish, jellyfish and dead carrion as well as plants. Its sharp, powerful beak could break open shelled animals such as ammonites.
Archelon's huge flippers suggest it was a long distance swimmer happiest in the open ocean. It would never be alone, as its huge size attracted a squadron of hangers-on such as juvenile fish as well as barnacles and parasites. Archelon couldn't withdraw its head or flippers inside its bony shell for protection so, despite its size, it was an easy target for large predators.
Like modern turtles, it laid eggs by burying them in sandy beaches under cover of darkness. Its nearest living relative is the world's largest turtle, the leatherback.
译文:
与海怪同行：海底的老寿星--古海龟
这个巨大的海龟可以存活100年之久，这可能是因为它长时间都在海底睡觉的原因吧
门类：爬行动物
尺寸：4.6米
食性：杂食
天敌：沧龙和鲨鱼
时代：白垩纪末期，距今7500万至6500万年
古海龟是个慢性子，它的大多数食物都漂动在海平面附近。它除了在海床上冬眠外，几乎不需要深潜。它是一种什么都吃的动物，清扫漂浮的鱼、水母、腐肉和植物。它锋利而强大的喙可以咬开有壳的动物，比如菊石。
古海龟巨大的鳍暗示它是一种悠游于开阔大洋中的长距离游泳者，但它绝不会孤独，它那巨大的尺寸不仅吸引着成群的幼年鱼类，还吸引了藤壶和寄生虫。尽管古海龟尺寸巨大，但它无法把头和鳍状肢缩回骨质的外壳加以保护，因此对大型掠食者来说还是一种易得手的猎物。
就像现代的海龟，它在黑暗的掩护下到沙滩上产卵并将卵掩埋。它最近的活着的亲戚是现在世界上最大的海龟——棱皮龟。