Leatherback Turtle
Leatherback Turtle/ Alaistair Rae
Scientific Name: Dermochelys coriacea
Range: Atlantic, Pacific & Indian Ocean
Clutch Size: 100 eggs (every 8-12 days)
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Description
The Leatherback Turtle is one of the four species of sea turtles that can be found in Caribbean waters. Leatherback’s are the largest sea turtle in the world and have a distinct inky-blue leather-like or rubbery shell and a very pale pink underside. These large turtles can grow up to 7ft long and 2000 ponds in weight.
Leatherback turtles swim thousands of miles between nesting and foraging areas and can dive around 4000ft deeper than other sea turtle species. The shape and ridges of its shell help the leatherback to more efficiently in the water . Leatherbacks are also able to maintain a warmer body temperature in cold water than other sea turtles due its large body and thick layers of fat .
Range
Leatherbacks have the widest distribution of all sea turtles and can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific and the Indian Ocean.
Habitat
Tropical and Temperate waters across the world.
Diet
Leatherback Turtles have a diet primarily consisting of jellyfish.
Leatherback turtles have sharp jaws and cusp-like teeth adapted to eating soft-bodied prey like the jellyfish.
Reproduction
Nesting season for the leatherback turtle lasts from March to July in the Caribbean.
Mature female Leatherback’s return to the nest where they were born every two to three years to lay their eggs. Females lay a clutch of around 100 eggs every 8 to 12 days during the nesting season. The eggs are covered in sand by the mother and incubate for approximately 2 months until they hatch and make their way back to the sea.
The temperature of the sand in the nest determines the gender of the hatchlings. Higher temperatures produce females while lower temperatures produce males. Male Leatherback’s spend their entire life at sea.
Leatherback Turtle eggs/ Bernard Dupont
Conservation Status
According to the IUCN, the leatherback Turtle species is Vulnerable and has a declining population.
Threats
The major threats to Leatherback Turtles are habitat loss, accidental bycatch in fish nets and harvesting. Coastal development reduces or disturbs nesting areas for the Leatherback, potentially resulting in less turtle hatchlings.
Some countries harvest turtle eggs and turtle meat for consumption.