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Marine Reptiles. Saltwater crocodile. Marine iguana. Sea snake. Marine turtle. Sea Snakes. Sea Snakes. Diversity: Laticodtidae - krates - 5 species (1 is fw in Solomon Islands) Hydrophidae - 54 different species Location:
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Marine Reptiles Saltwater crocodile Marine iguana Sea snake Marine turtle
Sea Snakes • Diversity: • Laticodtidae- krates- 5 species (1 is fw in Solomon Islands) • Hydrophidae- 54 different species • Location: • Laticotids- live from east coast India to Japan and come to the tip of Cape York (Australia) • Hydrophiids- found from south tip of Africa to India to South East Asian Islands to Japan to north half of Australia • Habitat: • Primarily tropical; coastalestuaries, coral reefs, open sea; 33-36oC
Sea Snakes • Behavior: Often schooling in aggregations; Not aggressive but human fatalities have occurred • Prey: Feed on small fish or squid, which are killed with powerful venom • Predators (few): sharks, snapper, grouper, crabs, saltwater crocodiles, raptors; they descend to escape • Venom: 2-10 times as toxic as that of a cobras
Saltwater crocodiles • Largest living crocodilians: 6-7 m long • Eggs laid and incubated on land • Tropical and subtropical
Marine Iguanas • Marine lizard endemic to Galapagos islands • Herbivorous: graze on seaweeds • Salt-glands on nose to eliminate excess salt • Recently observed feeding on land for first time • They return to land to escape predators.
Conservation Status • International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), also called the World Conservation Union • The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) • The United States Fish and Wildlife Service. • Endangered-facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild • Vulnerable -facing a high risk of extinction in the wild • Threatened-close to qualifying in one of the above categories
flatback Class:Reptilia: Reptiles Order:Chelonia: Turtles and Tortoises Family:Chelonidae: Marine Turtles Scientific Name:Natator depressus Diet:sea cucumbers, soft corals, jellyfish Size:< 1 m in length Conservation Status:vunerable Habitat:near continental shelf, shallow, soft bottom sea beds Range:northern part of Australia
Green turtle Class: Reptilia: Reptiles Order: Chelonia: Turtles and Tortoises Family: Chelonidae: Marine Turtles Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas Diet: seagrass and algae Size: ~500lbs Conservation Status: threatened Habitat: high energy ocean beaches, convergence zones in the pelagic habitat, benthic feeding grounds in relatively protected waters Range:throughout world in all tropical and subtropical oceans
hawksbill Class: Reptilia: Reptiles Order: Chelonia: Turtles and Tortoises Family: Chelonidae: Marine Turtles Scientific Name:Eretmochelys imbricata Diet: Shellfish Size:76 - 91 cm (30 - 36 in) Conservation Status: Endangered Habitat: coral reefs, rocky coasts Range: Tropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans; Caribbean
Loggerhead Class: Reptilia: Reptiles Order: Chelonia: Turtles and Tortoises Family: Chelonidae: Marine Turtles Scientific Name:Caretta caretta Diet: Crustaceans Size:76 - 102 cm (30 - 40 in) Conservation Status:Vulnerable Habitat: coasts, open sea Range: Temperate and tropical areas of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans
leatherback Class: Reptilia: Reptiles Order: Chelonia: Turtles and Tortoises Family: Dermochelidae: Marine Turtles Scientific Name: Dermochelys coriacea Diet: sea jellies and salps Size: 1500 lbs Conservation Status: endangered Habitat: pelagic water Range: tropical seas, oceanic islands, Atlantic, Pacific, & Indian Ocean
Adaptation to the Marine Environment Physiology: Poikilothermic (cold blooded) Skin has scales Speed- 35 mph Breath holding- 2 hrs, when sleeping or resting Maturity- 10-50 yrs for green Cannot retract heads like terrestrial turtles Lacrimal gland- salt secretion (drinks seawater)
Reproduction Mating- at sea Migration- occurs in late spring; female is accompanied by male Green sea turtles migrate as far as 800 miles from feeding area to nest in Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Egg laying behavior- return to same beach (natal beach)
Kemps Ridley nesting Usually nest at night Front flippers dig pit, rear flippers carve out burrow
Egg tooth- used to chip away at shell Group effort to get out of nest- emerge at night (safer) and head towards brightest light Artificial lights- confuse hatchlings Turtle nest Cross section
Leatherback hatching Kemps Ridley hatchlings Clutch size- about 100 eggs & covers pit with sand Egg incubation- 2 months depending upon species Sex determined by temperature- males lower temp, females higher temp
Predators Eggs- skunks, raccoons, pigs, lizards, crabs, ants, beetles, fungal and bacterial infections Hatchlings- birds, mammals, crabs Adults- sharks, humans
Commercial Value • Meat • Eggs- nearly forbidden in all countries • with nesting beaches • Soup • Jewelry • Leather Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): turtle commerce prohibited in countries that signed agreement
Marine Debris- plastic bags, soda can plastic rings, fishing line, oil and tar Costal development and habitat degradation- noise, light, beach obstructions- affect nesting habitat