Sea Turtles: Leatherback

1
Sea Turtles Leatherback

• By Stephanie Kisel

2
Sea Turtles

• Seven types of sea turtles
• Loggerhead, Kemps Ridley, Olive Ridley
• Green, Hawksbill, Flatback
• Six of these species are on the redlist as either
  threatened or endangered
• Leatherback is the most critically endangered

3
Biology of the Leatherback

• Largest living turtle
• Averages seven feet
• Average weight is 1,300 pounds
• Can grow to 8.5 feet and 2,000 pounds

4

• Ability to retain its body heat while swimming
  through deep waters
• Dives to depths of up to 3,000 feet during the
  night but active day and night
• Travel at a speed of 22 miles per hour
• Leatherbacks are the fastest, can dive deeper,
  and are bigger than any other turtle

5
Habitat

• Tropical Water
• Prefers deep water
• Shallow water on occasion
• Beaches for nesting

6
Global Range

• Tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and
  the Indian Ocean
• Extend as far from Newfoundland, British Isles
  through the Cape of Good Hope entering the
  Mediterranean Sea

7
Life Span and Behavior

• Leatherbacks can live as old as 30 years and up
  to 50 years or more
• Little is known about their behavior
• Sleep while floating on surface of the water
• Violent if captured
• Extremely vocal when in distress

8
Diets of the Leatherback

• Jellyfish, crabs, shrimp, and mollusks
• Snails, algae, sponges, and seaweed
• Adults feed independently unless feeding on a
  large number of jellyfish

9
Reproduction

• Lays eggs on a beach
• Nesting seasons (8-12 days)
• Nesting takes place when female simply chooses an
  undisturbed area

10

• Large clutch size 50-170 eggs
• Incubation period is 55-65 days
• Hatchlings are 2-3 inches in length and weigh
  approximately less than 1 pound

11
(No Transcript)
12
Threats to Sea Turtles

• Predators-sharks, raccoons, crabs, and humans
• Nesting areas disturbed- human activity and
  development
• Commercial fishing-entanglement
• -55 thousand sea turtles killed
• -increasing cause of mortality worldwide

13

• Pollution-balloons, bottles, garbage/
• plastic bags
• -Cannot distinguish between a plastic bag
  and a jelly fish (main component of diet)
• -Oil spills and fertilizers (disease now
  killing turtles is linked to pollution in oceans)
• Artificial lighting- lights from developments
  discourage females from nesting and hatchlings
  become disoriented, wandering inland dying of
  predation and hydration

14

• Easy prey
• -poachers hunt for eggs, used in medicines,
  jewelry, food, and oil

15
Conservation

• Environmental organizations created to eliminate
  poachers
• Restriction of people at nesting areas
• Restrictions on lights near beaches

16

• Turtle Safe Lighting (coated and compact
  florescent lamp under 13 watts)
• Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) grid of bars
  with opening at top or bottom

17
(No Transcript)