Leatherback Turtles
Tasmanian Tigers
All over the world, the eight species of sea Have
you ever heard of the Tasmanian
turtles are endangered. Endangered means
tiger? You probably haven’t ever seen one
that there are very few left, so they might
and you probably never will because it is
become extinct.
extinct. Extinct means that they have all
The
died and there are no more in the world.
leatherback is the largest sea turtle
and can grow to be about 2 meters long.
Actually,
The leatherback turtle’s primary diet is
tiger. It was meat-eating marsupial. A
jellyfish, although it eats fish, mollusks, and
marsupial is an animal like a kangaroo.
other sea creatures. They are born on land
Tasmanian tigers have stripes on their
but live their lives in water. The male
backs, which makes them look a little like
leatherbacks never return to land after
tigers. And that’s why they are called
they are born and the females only return
tigers.
to land to lay eggs.
The Tasmanian tiger lived in Australia, New
The
Guinea, and the island of Tasmania. But it is
leatherbacks, like all sea turtles, are
the Tasmanian tiger was not a
endangered. There are many reasons why
now extinct in all three places.
they have become endangered. One cause of
Tasmanian
endangerment is that many humans and
because of competition from the Dingoes, a
animals think they are a delicious food.
kind of wild dog. About 2000 years ago, the
Another reason is that humans hunt the
Tasmanian tigers were extinct in Australia.
adult sea turtles all over the world. They
Tasmanian
use the skin to make bags and clothes.
Island of Tasmania in the 1930s. Sheep
Another
farmers
cause is habitat loss. More and
tigers went extinct in Australia
tigers went extinct on the
hunted
them
because
the
more, people are using the beaches where
Tasmanian tigers were killing sheep. The
sea turtles lay eggs. The sea turtles are
last known Tasmanian tiger died in 1936 in a
easily disturbed by noise and lights.
zoo.
A
fourth cause is irresponsible fishing.
But
are they really extinct? Every year, a
Shrimp fishermen often catch sea turtles in
few people claim to see one on the Island of
their nets. The sea turtles drown when that
Tasmania. And local tribesmen on the New
happens.
Guinea also say that they have seen some in
Finally,
pollution on the oceans kills many
turtles every year. Turtles confuse floating
the mountains. But nobody has been able to
prove that they are still alive.
plastic garbage with jellyfish and eat the
garbage. But they can’t digest the garbage
so they die.
www.bogglesworldesl.com
(1) How many species of sea turtles (1) What animal does the article talk
are there?
about?
(2) What sea turtle does the article (2) What kind of animal is it?
talk about?
(3) Why are they called tigers?
(3) What do these turtles primarily
eat?
(4) What three places did they live?
(4) How often does the male turtle (5) When did they become extinct in
return to land?
Australia?
(5) When do the females return to (6) Why did they become extinct in
land?
Australia?
(6) Why do humans kill turtles?
(7) What
turtles?
easily
disturbs
(7) When did they become extinct in
Tasmania?
the
(8) Why did they become extinct in
Tasmania?
(8) What kind of fishermen kill many
turtles?
(9) Where did the last Tasmanian
tiger die?
(9) How does pollution kill the
turtles?
(10) Why do some people think that
they are not extinct?
(10) How big can leatherback turtles
grow?
www.bogglesworldesl.com