Why Do turtles Eat Jellyfish ? How Do They Eat jellyfish

Turtle eat jellyfish because they are omnivore, which means they eat both

plants and animals. In the wild it easy for turtles to catch jellyfish because they

move very slowly in the water. That is why, if a hungry turtle comes across a

jellyfish, it won’t hesistate to swim up to it and eat it.

You may think that they are very peaceful and only eat seaweed and algae,

but when they are hungry, they won’t hesitate to catch other fish and eat them.

You may now be wondering what else turtle eat and how many jellyfish they

eat on regular basis. So read on to discover the answer to these question and

more.

 

How does A Turtle eat A Jellyfish 

A turtle eats a jellyfish By Swimming up to it and then taking a bite. 

If it’s a small jellyfish, the turtle will take bite until it has eaten the whole thing.

Jelly fish moves  very slowly, so a turtle can take it’s time to eat it 

 

Can Jellyfish Swim Away from Turtles?

Jellyfish move incredibly slowly. They usually pump their bodies and can only

move a few inches ( 2 cms to 5 cms ) every few seconds

Some jellyfish don’t swim at all; they just get carried along  by the current.

A turtle can easyly swim fast enough to catch the jellyfish.

So if turtle want to eat a jellyfish, it always can.

Basiccally, the jellyfish won’t swim away from turtle.

 

Why Doesn’t A Jellyfish Sting The Turtle ?

According to the New York Times, almost all predator fish such as sharks,

swordfish, and Tuna love to eat jellyfis. 

Turtle are type of reptile in the same family as lizards and Iguana 

They have very Thick skin on their insides, like hard leather. This means that

the sting don’t get through.

On the other hand, human have sensitive skin.

That is why when you brush up against a jellyfish or accidentally stand on one

at the beach, it really stings.

This sting hurts so much that you need to put vinegar on your skin to stop it

from hurting.

But a turtle’s skin is very thick and tough, so it doesn’t even feel the sting.

It’s also the same the other fish that eat jellyfish, like shark and tunas. Their

mouth and inside are very tough.

 

But then, not all jellyfish sting is so small that a turtle doesn’t even feel it.

 

How Much Does A Turtle Eat On A Normal Days 

Turtle are omnivore and eat mix of plant and animals.

The small animal they eat include crabs, sea snails, fish, jellyfish, and shrimp.

And the plants that they eat including seaweed, algae coral

According the National Geographic, sea turtles eat about 73% of their body

weight every days

However, this in the summertime when there is plenty of food for them to eat in

the ocean.

Turtle will often eat a lot and then not eat anything for long periods of time,

much like bears that hibernate in the winter 

But each species of turtle is different. Turtle can also go without eating for a

very long time 

Adult turtles can go as long as 6 months without food 

However, baby turtles need to eat more regularly – once every week or so.

But as they get older, they can survive longer and longer without eating.

 

Related Question 

Does anything eat turtles? Turtles get eaten by sharks and killer whales.

Although turtles have a hard shell that shark or killer whales can’t break with

their mounth, they will eat the fin, tail, and the head of a turtle if they get the

opportunity.

Can turtle stay out of the water? Turtle can stay out of the water for

prolonged periodes of time. How ever, they can be attacked by dog, pigs, and

other animal because they move very slowly. So,they generally only stay on

dry land when it’s save or to lay eggs.

 

Parting Thoughs

Turtles eat jellyfish because of their diet.

Jellyfish are easy to catch for turtle when they find them because jellyfish swim

very slowly or not at all

During the summer month, turtles eat an incredible amount of food.

So, they will quikly snap up a jellyfish if they come across one. 

They don’t get stung by the jellyfish because there is very tough.