Curious turtle

1988/12/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Zoologia

The biologist Anne Maylen has shown that sasikarets only eat sponges. The 95% of the dry mass found in the stomach of Sasikaret are sponges. The sponges have glass needles as a structure in which organic fibers are combined.

The bushes consume sponges with a higher proportion of glass. According to studies carried out by Maylen, the average of fiberglass in the braces is half a kilo.

Weeds do not appear to have a special mechanism that protects the stomach from the influence of glass. Other animals fed with sponge break the needles and cover them with a fluid before entering the stomach. In addition, the bushes pass without problems the poisonous compounds of terpene and bromine that many sponges contain. On the other hand, and according to Maylen, this can be the cause of mass intoxications that occur after eating bush meat.

The bushes have a very important ecological role in the reefs. Taking sponges, other animals like fish make colonization of the reef possible.