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Leatherback Sea Turtle

Leatherback Sea Turtle. Mrs. Medford’s Class. The Leatherback Sea Turtle. The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all turtles. Adults can weigh between 700 and 2000 lbs. and grow to 6ft or more They can not hide or retract their fins into their shells like most turtles.

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Leatherback Sea Turtle

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  1. Leatherback Sea Turtle Mrs. Medford’s Class

  2. The Leatherback Sea Turtle • The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all turtles. • Adults can weigh between 700 and 2000 lbs. and grow to 6ft or more • They can not hide or retract their fins into their shells like most turtles. • Carapace is slightly flexible and has a rubbery texture.

  3. Endangerment Status • The U.S. Federal government has listed the leatherback as endangered worldwide. Endangered means there are not many of them left. • Within the U.S., the leatherback is known to nest in Southeastern Florida, Culebra, Puerto Rico, and St. Croix. • Leatherback sea turtles are among the most endangered animals on the planet.

  4. Causes of Endangerment • Exploitation by humans for the eggs and meat • Fishing lines and nets • Illegal egg harvesting • Loss of nesting habitat • Hatchlings often die when beachfront lighting draws them away from the ocean • Pollution - Hundreds of hatchlings die at sea when they swallow floating plastic debris mistaken for their favorite food jellyfish

  5. Habitat • Their range is the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. • They have been sighted on the coast of Florida and much more of the U.S. coastline. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/printable/leatherback-sea-turtle.html

  6. Food • Their favorite food: jellyfish • They even have a special notch in their beak to help puncture the man-o-war jellyfish.

  7. Reproduction • In the U.S., nesting occurs March to July. Female leatherbacks nest an average of 5 to 7 times within a nesting season • Incubation for the eggs takes from 55 to 75 days • Leatherbacks are believed to reach sexual maturity in 6 to 10 years • The mother does not stay with young

  8. Interesting Facts • The largest leatherback was a 5 foot and 8 inch male weighing 2,020 pounds in 1988. • All other sea turtles have hard, but the smooth, black carapace of the leatherback is soft, • They can stay underwater for 35 minutes and dive as deep as 4000 feet. • Sea turtles are one of the oldest creatures on the planet.

  9. Save the Sea Turtles • Fish and Wildlife Service provide funding to assist recovery efforts for the leatherback in Mexico and Costa Rica. • In the Southeast United States and U.S. Caribbean, major nest protection efforts • Beach habitat protection are underway for most of the significant nesting areas. • Many coastal counties and communities have developed lighting ordinances to reduce hatchling disorientations.

  10. References • http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/leatherback-sea-turtle.html • http://www.leatherback.org/ • http://www.seaturtle.org/mtrg/personnel/mw.shtml • http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/SeaTurtles/Turtle%20Factsheets/leatherback-sea-turtle.htm • http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Animals/CreatureFeature/Leatherback-sea-turtle • http://www.iucnredlist.org/ • http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/st_sea_turtles.htm • http://www.globalresponse.org/gra.php?i=2/03

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