Archelon, the Largest Turtle that Ever Lived

Archelon ischyros, the largest sea turtle that ever lived on Earth, weighed more than two tons. This is over one third the weight of a modern African elephant.

The largest Archelon fossil, which was discovered in the 1970s, was more than 4 meters (13 feet) long and 5 meters (16 feet) wide.

Archelon lived in North America 74 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period. A marine animal, it lived during a time when most of central North America was covered by a shallow sea.

It did not have a solid shell like modern turtles. Instead, it had a leathery or bony carapace that was supported by a skeletal framework.

With a strong, hooked beak, this mighty meat eater could bite through the shells of crustaceans and crush squid.

It also had a pointed and a more narrow-shaped skull than a modern turtle.

It is thought that the Archelon had a lifespan of around 100 years, which a little shorter than some modern sea turtles.

Although the Archelon ischyros most likely lived alongside dinosaurs it is not classiffied as such itself, it belonged to the Order Chelonia and the Family Protostegidae and is a relative of the modern Leatherback Sea Turtle.

Very little is known of the true nature of these Archelon turtles because so few fossils have been discovered. It is thought that they hibernated (or brumated) at the bottom of the sea and often also died there during this period of sleep, which no doubt makes their fossils harder to find.