Today, when "tortoiseshell" has almost become synonymous with gemstones, how many people remember that it is actually the shell of a turtle, and the origin of the name "tortoiseshell" is also the name of this turtle.
Hawksbill turtles are a relatively large turtle in the family Turtle family, and they also have a name called hawk-billed sea turtles, because their mouths are different from other sea turtles, and the front of the palate is hooked in the shape of an eagle's beak, which also makes their mouth sharper and more bite-like, able to bite through the shells of some crabs.
But for us, the more familiar is the name of tortoiseshell. In recent years, tortoiseshell products have become less and less precious, and even in ancient times, tortoiseshell products were very precious gemstones.
China's ancients have a long history of playing tortoiseshells, and the exquisite tortoiseshell products excavated in many Han Dynasty sites prove that China has appeared relatively mature tortoiseshell production technology in the Han Dynasty, that is, around 200 AD. Throughout the dynasties, the royal and high society have chased the tortoiseshell unabated, and the unique color of the tortoiseshell is worn to add a grace and luxury.
But don't forget, although tortoiseshells are called gemstones, they are part of the animal's body. Just like rhino horns and ivory, behind each tortoiseshell is a small life.
On the back of the tortoiseshell tortoiseshell carapace, there are 13 shield-shaped carapaces, with 5 ridged carapaces in the middle and four ribbed carapaces on each side, so it is also called "thirteen scales".
These thirteen scales are extremely precious, and in ancient times, turtles were not as easy to catch as fish. The tortoiseshell is long enough to survive, the texture of the tortoiseshell is clear and undamaged, and it is shiny, and the tortoiseshell that is moist and transparent in the sun is even more difficult to encounter. Fishermen cast wide nets, and it is difficult to catch a few. Under such conditions, tortoiseshell products are hard to find, and once became a treasure that only the royal family could enjoy.
In addition, the image of the tortoiseshell is very similar to xuanwu, one of the four sacred beasts in China, so the tortoiseshell has always had the effect of avoiding evil and blessing in people's hearts. Tortoiseshells live long, so it is believed that wearing tortoiseshell products also contributes to longevity. In this symbolic sense, the market for tortoiseshell is very large, and people not only like tortoiseshell ornaments, but also prefer the complete tortoiseshell tonic shell to be enshrined at home. Not only does it take its meaning of "avoiding evil, blessing, longevity, and peace", but it can also be enjoyed by people, and a faint golden light is emitted under the sunlight.
The tortoiseshell carapace is beautiful, brown and light yellow, soft color, and their tortoiseshell is very hard, generally speaking, tortoiseshells have no natural predators in the sea, one of the reasons is due to their very hard tortoiseshell.
Tortoises usually shrink their heads and clawed tails into their shells, but turtles generally cannot, and in order to swim in the sea, they lose the ability to stretch freely. But their heads and claws are covered with hard scales, and the tortoiseshell is so hard that even crocodiles can't easily bite through them.
The tortoiseshell carapace is 62-114 cm long, which shows the size of the tortoiseshell. Their tortoiseshell is composed of a combination of dorsal and ventral carapace, and the carapace is divided into two layers, the inner layer is actually its skeleton, including its skeleton and ribs, like a layer of bone plate. The outer layer is like a pangolin, a stratum corneum shield that evolves from the keratinization of the surface skin. And in terms of distribution, it is not simply the inner layer inside and the outer layer outside, but the two overlap, which further strengthens the stability of the entire turtle shell.
Therefore, even sharks and crocodiles will not easily prey on hawksbill turtles, lest the meat not be eaten but the teeth will collapse.
Another reason why tortoiseshells have few natural predators in the sea is that its main food is poisonous sponges. It's not the sponge we usually use to wash dishes, or the sponge of marine animals. Because sponges often attach to coral reefs, and corals are a favorite place for hawksbill turtles, they simply feed on this barely mobile sponge animal.
The sponges selected by the tortoiseshell are highly toxic, and some of the sponges also contain siliceous bone needles. As a result of this discovery, scientists accidentally discovered that hawksbill turtles are the only turtles in the sea that can digest glass, and one of the few animals in the world that can digest glass.
In addition, tortoiseshells will also eat highly poisonous monk hat jellyfish, and other times will prey on some fish, shrimp and crabs. Because the main food of tortoiseshell is poisonous, the meat of tortoiseshell is also toxic. Moreover, tortoiseshells eat sponges all year round, and they often have a bad smell of sponges on their bodies. This is also the reason why some carnivores in the sea are reluctant to prey on hawksbill turtles.
Finally, because of its fierce temperament, it does not move slowly, and if an intruder attacks it, it will often attack it fiercely. However, if they are not attacked, they will not actively attack others.
There are almost no natural enemies in the sea, but because of their precious tortoiseshell, they have been caught and killed by people, and have reached the point of extreme danger. According to published reports, the number of females hatching each year has fallen by 84%-87% over the past three generations, and the overall number of this species has declined by more than 80%, not to mention the disappearance of young turtles that have returned to the sea on their own.
The lifespan of hawksbill turtles is extremely long, and some researchers have proposed that their lifespan can even reach 1500 years, but on the one hand, they are repeatedly hunted, and on the other hand, marine pollution, which makes their race number continue to decrease. If one day, the last generation of tortoiseshells dies, this precious and long-lived species will really become a symbol in the history books and poems.