1 / 26

Marine Turtles (Honu)

Marine Turtles (Honu). History. Found in fossil record 200 mya (Triassic) Common in Cretaceous ( 130 mya ) Present day genera originated 60 (Eocene) and 10 mya (Pleistocene) Not a very diverse group Mostly tropical and subtropical. Taxonomy. Class Reptilia.

sonel
Download Presentation

Marine Turtles (Honu)

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Marine Turtles (Honu)

  2. History Found in fossil record200 mya(Triassic) Common in Cretaceous(130 mya) Present day genera originated60(Eocene)and10 mya(Pleistocene) Not a very diverse group Mostly tropical and subtropical

  3. Taxonomy Class Reptilia Order Chelonia- warm to temperate and boreal seas ex. leatherback, ridley's, kemps Order Chelonia- F. Cheloniidae-green, flatback, hawksbill, loggerhead F. Dermochelidae- leatherback reduced shell, dermal bone scutes compose shell F. Emydidae- diamond back terrapin Hawaii species- green, hawksbill, leatherback, Olive Ridley

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. reduced shell, • dermal bone scutes • compose shell • 7 dorsal and 5 • ventral dermal bones

  11. 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)

  12. Anatomy Has both internal and external skeleton- provided protection and support for organs Fused ribs Powerful sense of smell- find natal beach No ears, but can perceive low frequency sound and vibrations Male & female- difference in tail size; males tail extends past rear flippers, females is shorter

  13. 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)

  14. Kemps Ridley nesting Usually nest at night Front flippers dig pit, rear flippers carve out burrow

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. Prey

  18. Prey Sea grass and Algae- adult green sea turtle Epiphyteson sea grass, Sponges, fish, crabs, conch-loggerheads (suction feeders) Gelatinous zooplankton: siphonophores jellyfish Crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms-Ridley

  19. Predators Eggs- skunks, raccoons, pigs, lizards, crabs, ants, beetles, fungal and bacterial infections Hatchlings- birds, mammals, crabs Adults- sharks, humans

  20. Factors Affecting Green Sea Turtle Population Hawaii-100-350 nesting females French Frigate Shoals in the Northwest Hawaiian chain • Hunters • Fisheries • Marine Debris • Coastal Development and Habitat Degradation • Fibropapilloma

  21. 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

  22. Protection and Management Law enforcement- in Hawaii, turtles protected under Endangered Species Act Riding or harassing- $100,000 fine + prison time Bringing turtle products into Hawaii- $20,000 + prison time Fishing regulations- Shrimp Trawlers - incidental catch by commercial shrimp fish nets: drowned 10,000 turtles each year Drift nets, gill nets Turtle Excluder Device (TED) Increase sea turtle populations: Ranching- eggs or hatchlings from wild populations Farming- originally from wild populations, for breeding stock

  23. Catch Statistics (1987) FAO yearbook on Fishery Statistics 3100 metric tons Western Central Atlantic- 1200 Eastern Central Pacific- 864 South East Pacific- 305 Western Central Pacific- 258 North West Pacific- 190 Eastern Central Atlantic- 153 Eastern Indian Ocean- 50 Western Indian Ocean- 37 Mediterranean - 20 South East Atlantic- 10

  24. 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

  25. Fibropapilloma- virus in Green turtles Affects ability to feed, see, move about, or breath May be due to pollutants, blood parasites, or habitat change Kaneohe Bay (1991)- >50% infected

  26. Turtle Excluder Device

More Related