Turtles eat living or dead plant and animal matter. Some eat worms, insects, and small animals. Some river turtles feed on clams and mussels. Jellyfish is a major part of the diet of the leatherback turtle. Many tortoises eat only living plants.
Turtles store food in the form of fat, and they store water in specialized bladders.
Young Sea turtles go ashore to lay eggs. The nesting female digs a hole with her hind feet and drops the eggs into it. She then covers the opening and packs down the soil. The mother leaves the nest immediately. She does not take care of the eggs.