Leatherback Sea Turtle
Hawksbill Sea Turtle Facts
| Size | 70-86 inches (180-220 cm) |
| Speed | Up to 21 mph (35 km/h) |
| Weight | 550-1,540 pounds (250-700 kg) |
| Lifespan | 30-50 years |
| Food | Jellyfish, sea urchins, crustaceans |
| Predators | Birds, crabs, raccoons (eggs and hatchlings) |
| Distribution | Atlantic, Pacific |
| Habitat | Open sea, high seas |
| Class | Reptiles |
| Order | Turtles |
| Family | Dermochelyidea |
| Scientific name | Dermochelys coriacea |
| Characteristics | Turtle with Leathery, soft skin; fast, can dive deep |
Main Characteristics
The leatherback turtle is the largest sea turtle in the world. Its most striking feature is its soft shell, which is covered with leathery skin. It is one of the main differences that set it apart from the other turtles that live in the sea. Leatherback turtles are considered an endangered species. That's why they are also a symbol of nature and marine protection.
Records
At 21 mph (35 km/h), the leatherback turtle is the fastest swimming reptile. Of all the turtles, it can dive the deepest: 4199 feet (1,280 meters). It also holds the record for the longest migration by a turtle. One animal traveled 12.774 miles (20,558 km) from Papua (Indonesia) to Oregon (USA). Its flippers are the longest flippers of all turtle species: 109 inches (277 cm).
Distribution and Habitat
Most sea turtles prefer warm seas and live near the coast. The leatherback turtle is unique: It also roams colder waters. This is possible because, unlike the others, it can maintain its body temperature.
Life Style
Leatherback turtles are solitary diurnal animals. They spend most of their times at sea. They swim thousands of miles following ocean currents. That's why very little is known about their way of life. Only the females come to the beach to lay their eggs. The males spend their entire lives in water.
Anatomy and Appearance
Size and Weight
The leatherback turtle is the largest and heaviest turtle on earth. Its shell grows to a length of 70-86 inches (180-220 cm). Their weight is 550-1,540 pounds (250-700 kg). The largest leatherback turtle ever was found in Wales (England) in 1988. According to Guinness World Records, it had a total length of 114 inches (291 cm), a wingspan of 109 inches (277 cm) and a weight of 2,120 pounds (916 kg).
Shell
Skin
A sea turtle's shell is typically composed of scutes, which consist of tough keratin material. Things are different with the leatherback turtle. Their shell consists of small, loose bone-like plates that are held together by skin. It is very thin but leathery and tough. The animal was named after it.
Ridges
Another striking feature on the leatherback turtle's shell are the seven ridges. They consist of small bone-like plates and run over the entire back. This makes the animal look as if it was sewn together from long strips of leather.
Flippers
The leatherback turtle's flippers can grow up to 106 inches (270 cm) long. Compared to body size, the animals have the longest flippers of all sea turtles.
Diet
Leatherback turtles feed primarily on jellyfish, but also eat sea urchins, squid and crustaceans. Although they don't have teeth, they have a powerful jaw. It looks like a bird's beak, is very hard and has sharp edges. The turtles use it to hold their prey and transport it into their mouths. In their mouths are spines that help them transport prey down into their stomachs.
Behavior
Migrations
Female leatherback turtles travel over 6,000 miles (10,000 km) to return to the place where they were born in order to lay their eggs. They swim across the Pacific from Indonesia to California and back. In 2008, an animal traveled a whopping 12.774 miles (20,558 km) from Papua (Indonesia) to Oregon (USA). It needed 647 days to complete is journey. This makes it the record for the longest migration by a reptile.
Senses and Abilities
Speed
The leatherback turtle normally moves at a speed of 1-6 mph (2-10 km/h). When frightened, it can become really fast. According to Guinness World Records, it can reach speeds of up to 21 mph (35 km/h). That's as fast as the fastest penguin (the gentoo penguin). Except the turtle is much bigger and heavier.
Diving
Depth
Most sea turtles dive to depths of 570-650 feet (175-200 m). The leatherback turtle can dive to much greater depths. It even holds the record for the deepest dive by a turtle living in the sea: 4,199 feet (1,280 m). The record was recorded in 2006 near the Cape Verde Islands.
Soft Shell
Its soft shell allows the leatherback turtle to dive very deep. Unlike a hard shell, it can contract and expand under water pressure.
Heartbeat
Here's another ability that helps the leatherback turtle when diving: It can slow down its heartbeat and thereby save oxygen. Up to nine minutes pass between two heartbeats, which is why they can stay underwater for up to seven hours in a row.
Magnetic Sense
How do leatherback turtles find their way back to the place where they were born? Researchers have discovered that the animals have a magnetic sense. They possess an internal map of the Earth's magnetic fields, allowing them to navigate and return to their place of birth.
Warm-Blooded Reptiles
Most reptiles are cold-blooded and are dependent on how warm or cold their environment is. Things are different with the leatherback turtle. It can maintain its body temperature - like us humans.That's why they can also stay in colder waters. Here you can find out more about cold-blooded and cold-blooded animals.
Life Expectancy
Leatherback turtles live 30-50 years. At least that's what people believe. So far, too little is known about their lifespan.
Enemies and Threats
Natural Enemies
Adult leatherback turtles have no natural enemies. They are too large for predatory fish or marine mammals and can dive too deep. However, birds, crabs and racoons steal their eggs and hunt their newly hatched babies.
Hunting
The greatest danger comes from people. Leatherback turtles are hunted, die as bycatch in fishing nets and their eggs are sold as a delicacy.
Fishing Nets
A major problem is the fishermen's nets, in which the leatherback turtles get caught and drown miserably because they can't free themselves from them.
Plastic Waste
Around 44% of leatherback turtles have plastic waste in their stomachs - because they mistake it for jellyfish and eat it. Regrettably, they can't just spit it out to get rid of it. In their mouths are tiny spines that point towards their stomach, preventing anything from being expelled once it has entered.
How Many Leatherback Turtles Are Left?
Leatherback turtles are considered critically endangered. In 1980 there were still around 100,000 females. Today there are still around 2,500 to 3,500. The males spend their entire lives in water, which is why their number cannot be estimated.
How You Can Help Leatherback Turtles
Protecting sea turtles is easy: by eating less fish. You're probably wondering what the fish have to do with it. Nets are used to catch them. But it's not just turtles that get caught up in it. Even dolphins and small whales can't free themselves from them and die. If we eat less fish, sooner or later there will be less fishing and fewer nets.
Importance for the Ecosystem
Leatherback turtles play a crucial role in the ecosystem by consuming jellyfish, which helps regulate the population of these animals and maintain a healthy balance in nature.
Reproduction
Nesting Site
To lay their eggs, female leatherback turtles return to the beach where they first saw the light of day.
Nest and clutch
To lay its eggs, the female leatherback turtle digs a hole in the sand with its rear flippers - about 40-50 cm deep. Then it lays 50-100 eggs in it. Then it covers the nest with sand. The eggs are incubated by the warmth of the sun for 55-56 days. Whether a male or female animal hatches depends on the temperature in the nest. At less than 83.6 degrees Fahrenheit (28.7 degrees Celsius) they become male. At 83.6 degrees Fahrenheit (28.7 degrees Celsius) to 85.4 degrees Fahrenheit (29.7 degrees Celsius) they become male or female. At above 85.4 degrees Fahrenheit (29.7 degrees Celsius) they become female.
Babies
Baby leatherback turtles are about 2 inches (6 cm) long when they break through the eggshell and crawl towards the sea. This path is the most dangerous path of their lifes. Seabirds, fish and crabs are just waiting to walk in front of your feet. Almost 60% of the hatchlings die.
The Leatherback Sea Turtle Is Related To:
- Flatback Sea Turtle
- Hawksbill Sea Turtle
- Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
- Leatherback Sea Turtle
- Loggerhead Sea Turtle
- Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
Animals in the Same Biome:
- Beaked Whale
- Crab
- Crayfish
- Cuttlefish
- Frigatebird
- Great White Shark
- Jellyfish
- Lion's Mane Jellyfish
- Moray Eel
- Octopus
- Orca
- Parrotfish
- Sea Anemones
- Seal
- Sea Urchin
- Seagull
- Squid
- Shark
- Sperm Whale
- Tiger Shark
- Yellow Tang
