SEA TURTLES

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• SEA TURTLES

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Sea Turtles

• Class Reptilia
• Family Cheloniidae
• Family Dermochelyidae
• Species - Leatherback, Green, Black, Loggerhead,
  Kemps Ridley, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Flatback

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Reptilia Characteristics

• Ectothermic
• Lungs or gills?
• 3 - chambered heart
• lays eggs

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Family Dermochelyidae

• Scute-less turtles
• backbone is NOT attached to the inside of the
  shell
• capable of diving up to 1000 feet.
• ONLY the Leatherback

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Family Cheloniidae

• Turtles with shells that are covered with scutes
  (horny plates)
• include all species but one

• This is a flatback turtle

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Sea Turtles

• Fossil records date back to 208 - 245 million
  years ago
• warm/ temperate regions - shallow coastal
  waters, bays, lagoons, estuaries
• large streamline shell - nonretractable head and
  limbs
• This is a green turtle

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• Leave water only to lay eggs
• migrate long distances to lay eggs in the same
  nesting areas every 2-3 years
• migration is tracked by flipper tagging, radio
  transmitters, and satellites
• females lay 100 - 160 eggs at one time

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• Eggs are temperature dependant (cold female
  warm male)
• Incubation ranges from 45 - 70 days
• Low survival rate, many are eaten by dogs, ghost
  crabs, pigs, birds, humans
• Born on full, bright moonlight nights

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• This Kemps Ridley is the smallest and most
  endangered.
• As few as 350 females
• She will only lay eggs at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico.

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• Males have a larger tail because the male
  reproductive organs are at the base of the tail.
  
• Turtles have great vision underwater but not
  above.
• Size ranges from 22 inches to 7 feet (leatherback)