Archelon Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Archelon Temporal range: Upper Cretaceous

Type specimen (YPM 3000) of Archelon ischyros
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Protostegidae
Genus:	Archelon
Binomial name
*Archelon ischyros* Wieland, 1896

Archelon was a truly enormous sea turtle that lived a very long time ago. Imagine a turtle as big as a small car! It swam in the oceans about 74 million years ago. This was during a time called the Upper Cretaceous period.

Archelon lived in a large inland sea that covered parts of North America. This ancient sea is known as the Western Interior Seaway. Scientists have found its fossils in the U.S. states of Kansas and South Dakota. These fossils help us learn about this amazing creature.

What Was Archelon Like?
Archelon's Skull
Images for kids
See also

What Was Archelon Like?

Archelon was a giant, growing up to 4.6 meters (about 15 feet) long. That's longer than many cars! It had a wide, flat shell, but it wasn't hard like a modern turtle's shell. Instead, it was probably leathery.

Body Features

Shell:' Unlike most turtles today, Archelons shell was not made of solid bone plates. It was more like the leatherback sea turtle's shell, which is flexible and leathery.
Flippers: It had huge, paddle-like front flippers. These were perfect for swimming powerfully through the water.
Head: Archelon had a long, narrow head with weak jaws. It also had a short, pointed tail.
Beak: Instead of teeth, Archelon had a strong, pronounced beak. This beak was likely used for grabbing its food.

What Did Archelon Eat?

Archelon was a carnivore, meaning it ate meat. Scientists believe its main food source was squid. Its weak jaws suggest it didn't eat hard-shelled prey. Its beak was probably good for catching soft-bodied animals like squid.

Who Were Archelon's Enemies?

Even though Archelon was huge, it still had predators. The biggest threats to Archelon were likely large mosasaurs. Mosasaurs were giant marine reptiles that lived in the same seas.

Archelon's Skull

Like other turtles, Archelon had a skull that was mostly solid. This means it didn't have large openings on the top of its head, unlike some other reptiles. The only main openings were for its eyes and nostrils. This solid skull helped protect its brain.

Images for kids

Holotype (YPM 3000) at the Yale Peabody Museum
The leatherback sea turtle was previously thought to be the closest living relative.
"Brigitta," the largest specimen, at the Natural History Museum Vienna
Size comparison between Notochelone (lightest blue), Protostega (darkest blue), and Archelon
Archelon had a pronounced beak.
1914 restoration by American paleontologist Samuel Wendell Williston
Restoration
Archelon plastron at the North American Museum of Ancient Life
Eutrephoceras dekayi may have been a food source. Above from the Natural History Museum Nuremberg
Restoration

Archelon facts for kids

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