正文：
在奇妙的大自然中，生活着一种古老的动物——乌龟。作为地球上的“老古董”，它们在1.2亿年前就已经具有现代形态了。乌龟是一种长寿的爬行动物，它们的寿命可以达到上百年，在所有动物中，乌龟算得上是当之无愧的“老寿星”了。它们长寿的“秘诀”是什么？乌龟还有哪些“神奇之处”？今天来揭秘乌龟的长寿密码。
乌龟之所以能够长寿，首先得益于它们厚实的龟壳。这个坚硬的保护壳不仅可以保护内脏，减少体内水分流失，而且在遇到外敌时，它们还可以把头尾和四肢都缩进壳里，避免受到伤害。乌龟壳是由骨头和角质组成，非常坚固，可以抵御外界的伤害。乌龟壳也是乌龟的身份证，每一只乌龟的壳都有不同花纹，就像人类指纹一样，可以用来区分不同个体。
此外，乌龟的代谢速度慢也是它们长寿的原因之一。有科学家指出，乌龟一生中走的公里数比兔子要多，这说明乌龟虽然行动缓慢，但它们的耐力和毅力是兔子无法比拟的。科学家们认为，这和它们获取食物方式的差异有直接关系。动作缓慢的动物不得不不停地寻找食物，而“动作迅速”的竞争对手则把大部分的时间花在为下一次“拉练”养精蓄锐上。
乌龟的衰老速度可以忽略不计？这听起来像是神话，但实际上却是乌龟的独特之处。190多岁高龄的亚达伯拉象龟“乔纳森”已经正式成为地球上已知最古老的陆地动物。它的长寿令人印象深刻。但这并不令人意外，因为其他百岁龟的案例表明，对它们来说，岁月确实不会留下多少“痕迹”。研究表明某些种类的龟似乎避免了衰老，即避免机体随着年龄的增长而逐渐退化的过程。这是龟身上独一无二的能力。
乌龟为什么爬不快呢？人们经常用“龟速”来形容行动缓慢，在大家眼里，乌龟似乎成了“慢”的具象化代表。其实乌龟是杂食性动物，不必靠速度捕猎；厚重的龟壳保护着它们，一般也不会成为其他动物的猎物，所以它们平时不需要行动得太快。但乌龟有时的速度可比你想的快得多，尤其是当它感受到危险时，速度快得让人惊讶。在乌龟的世界中，还有一位“博尔特”——这只名叫伯蒂的南非豹纹龟每秒可爬行0.28米，换算下来大约每小时1公里的速度，比普通乌龟爬行速度快两倍，成为世界上爬行速度最快的乌龟。
总之，乌龟以其独特的生活方式和生理结构，展现了它们在自然界中的生存智慧。它们的“长寿秘诀”和“神奇之处”不仅为人类提供了关于生命和衰老的启示，也为研究生物进化和生态学提供了宝贵的材料。
英语如下：
Title: “The Longevity Legend: Unveiling the Mysterious Secrets of Old Tortoises”
Keywords: Longevity, Ancient, Biological Diversity
News Content:
In the wondrous world of nature, there lives an ancient creature – the tortoise. As one of Earth’s “ancient relics,” it has maintained its modern form for 120 million years. Tortoises are long-lived reptiles, with lifespans that can reach over a century, making them undisputed “old-timers” among all animals. What is the “secret” to their longevity? What other “mysteries” do tortoises possess? Today, let’s unveil the mystery of tortoise longevity.
The reason tortoises can live so long is primarily their thick shell. This hard protective shell not only shields internal organs but also reduces water loss from the body. When faced with external threats, they can retract their heads, tails, and limbs into their shells to avoid harm. The shell is made of bone and keratin, and it is very sturdy, capable of withstanding external damage. The shell is also the tortoise’s identity card, as each tortoise’s shell has unique patterns, similar to human fingerprints, which can be used to distinguish between individuals.
Additionally, the slow metabolic rate of tortoises is another factor contributing to their longevity. Scientists have pointed out that tortoises travel more kilometers in their lifetime than rabbits. This suggests that while tortoises move slowly, their endurance and perseverance are unmatched by rabbits. Scientists believe that this is directly related to their different methods of obtaining food. Slow-moving animals must constantly search for food, while their quick-moving competitors spend most of their time refueling for their next “expedition.”
Can tortoises age at a negligible rate? It sounds like a myth, but it’s actually one of the unique features of tortoises. Jonathan, a 190-year-old Aldabra giant tortoise, has officially become the oldest known land animal on Earth. His longevity is impressive. But it’s not surprising, as other centenarian tortoise cases show that for them, time does not leave many “marks.” Studies indicate that certain species of tortoises seem to avoid aging, i.e., avoiding the gradual degeneration of the body as it ages. This is a unique ability of tortoises.
Why can’t tortoises move fast? People often use “as slow as a tortoise” to describe slow movement, and in everyone’s eyes, tortoises seem to embody “slow.” In reality, tortoises are omnivorous, not needing to rely on speed to hunt; their heavy shells protect them, making them generally not prey for other animals, so they don’t need to move too quickly in daily life. However, the speed of tortoises can sometimes be much faster than you think, especially when they sense danger, their speed can be astonishing. In the world of tortoises, there is also a “Bolt” – a South African leopard tortoise named Bertie that can crawl at 0.28 meters per second, translating to a speed of about 1 kilometer per hour, twice as fast as the average tortoise, making it the fastest-crawling tortoise in the world.
In summary, tortoises showcase their survival wisdom in the natural world through their unique lifestyle and physiological structure. Their “secrets of longevity” and “mysteries” not only provide insights into life and aging for humans but also offer valuable materials for studying biological evolution and ecology.
【来源】http://www.chinanews.com/life/2024/08-14/10268567.shtml
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