Puerto Rico Territorial Reptile
Leatherback Turtle (common name) Dermochelys coriacea (scientific name) Overview The leatherback turtle is the largest of all living marine turtles and can be found almost all over the world, from the far north to the tropics. In spite of its global range, numbers of these turtles are decreasing. The species has been listed as endangered in the U.S. since 1970. It is the only living member of its genus, Dermochelys. Close-up STATUS Unofficial ALSO KNOWN AS Leathery turtle, trunkback turtle, luth PHYSICAL DETAILS After its size, a leatherback turtle’s most distinctive feature is its shell, which is not the hard structure usually expected on a turtle. Instead, it has a 1.5-inch (4-cm) thick dome made of bones that fit together loosely, all overlaid by tough, oily skin. This dome has seven ridges that run from neck to tail, where the shell forms a rounded point. The leatherback has long front flippers that lack both claws and scales, and flat rear flippers adapted for paddling. This turtle’s skin is black with white to pink spotting, while its underside is mottled and lighter. Instead of chewing plates, the leatherback has little points on the edge of its top lip and sharp-edged jaws that allow it to eat soft-fleshed prey.    Males Females Size Shell length 48 to 96 in (122 to 244 cm); average length 78 to 84 in (6.5 to 7 ft); largest 101 in (8.4 ft) Shell length 48 to 96 in (122 to 244 cm); average length 78 to 84 in (6.5 to 7 ft); largest 101 in (8.4 ft) Weight Average 600 to 1,600 lbs; maximum 2,000 lbs (900 kg) Average 600 to 1,600 lbs; maximum 2,000 lbs (900 kg) LIFESPAN Up to 80 years. HABITAT Open oceans worldwide. Leatherbacks also visit feeding areas near land and require mainland beaches facing very deep waters to breed. Range: Worldwide from waters as cold as those around Norway and Iceland to tropical waters, and south through the Cape of Good Hope and New Zealand. Conservation Status: Critically Endangered (CR). Over-harvesting of eggs, considered a delicacy in some parts of the world and an aphrodisiac in others, has diminished the leatherback population substantially in some areas. Accidental deaths caused by commercial fishing and pollution are also issues for this species. These turtles are an important part of the food chain because they feed on jellyfish that, when uncontrolled, interfere with power and desalination plants and commercial fishing. BEHAVIOR Because leatherbacks prefer deep ocean waters, relatively little is known about their behavior in the wild. It’s clear that they migrate further than any other turtle, an average of 3,700 miles (6,000 km) but occasionally up to 13,000 miles (20,000 km), as they travel between feeding and breeding grounds. These turtles mate at sea. Mating season varies around the world. Males mate every year, but females usually breed only at two or three year intervals. After mating, a female leatherback starts swimming towards a nesting ground. She looks for a soft sand beach on open water, without impediments such as a coral reef. Unlike many other sea turtles, she does not necessarily return to the same beach each time, though she does return to the same general area. She digs her nest above the high water mark, deposits over 100 eggs, and covers them carefully. She can dig and fill up to nine nests per season. Hatchlings dig their way out by night a little over two months later and make their way to the water. DIET Primarily jellyfish. Also some types of seaweed, sea urchins, octopus, squid, snails, crabs, and other small sea creatures. OFFSPRING Breeding Interval: Annual Hatching Period: 60 to 75 days Average Nest Size: 100 to 120 eggs Size at Birth: length 2 to 3 in (2 to 7.5 cm); weight 1.5 to 2 oz (40 to 55 g) TRIVIA A leatherback’s ridged back and long front flippers are important adaptations that help it swim long distances. Leatherback turtles can dive deeper than 3,900 feet (1,200 m), making them the deepest divers of any marine turtle. A male leatherback turtle hatches, makes his way to the water, and never returns to land.
	Click to enlarge an image Leatherback Turtle Digging Nest Leatherback Turtle Laying Eggs Leatherback Turtle Swimming in Open Ocean Baby Leatherback Turtles Headed to Sea After Hatching CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Subclass: Anapsida Order: Testudines Family: Dermochelyidae Genus: Dermochelys Species: D. coriacea
	Raw Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Author: World Trade Press