Table of Contents
How big is a leatherback sea turtle shell?
4 to 6 feet
The carapace is dark grey or black with white or pale spots, while the plastron is whitish to black and marked by 5 ridges. Hatchlings have white blotches on carapace. Size: 4 to 6 feet (130 – 183 cm).
Do leatherback turtles have shells?
Unlike all other marine turtles, the leatherback turtle does not have a hard, bony carapace (shell). Instead, as its name implies, it has a tough, rubbery shell that is composed of cartilage-like tissues.
What eats a leatherback sea turtle?
Adult sea turtles have a few predators, mostly large sharks. Killer whales have been known to prey on leatherback turtles. Fishes, dogs, seabirds, raccoons, ghost crabs, and other predators prey on eggs and hatchlings. More than 90% of hatchlings are eaten by predators.
What is on a turtle’s back?
In the creation stories of the Lenape and Iroquois people, the Earth is created as soil is piled on the back of a great sea turtle that continues to grow until it is carrying the entire world. Many indigenous tribes in North America refer to the continent as Turtle Island to this day.
How many eggs does a leatherback sea turtle lay?
110
Leatherback sea turtle/Clutch size
What animals eat leatherback sea turtles?
Natural Predators Adult sea turtles have a few predators, mostly large sharks. Tiger sharks, in particular, are known for eating sea turtles. Killer whales have been known to prey on leatherback turtles. Fishes, dogs, seabirds, raccoons, ghost crabs, and other predators prey on eggs and hatchlings.
How big does a leatherback turtle shell get?
The leatherback can reach up to 180cm, and 500kg in weight. The species carapace (shell) is dark with white spots. Juvenile leatherbacks may remain in tropical waters warmer than 26°C, near the coast, until they exceed 100cm in curved carapace length.
How did the leatherback sea turtle get its name?
Leatherback Turtle. Facts. Leatherback turtles are named for their shell, which is leather-like rather than hard, like other turtles. They are the largest sea turtle species and also one of the most migratory, crossing both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
How many miles does a leatherback sea turtle migrate?
Both their rigid carapace and their large flippers make the leatherback uniquely equipped for long distance foraging migrations. Leatherback sea turtles undertake the longest migrations between breeding and feeding areas of any sea turtle, some averaging 3,700 miles each way.
What kind of flippers does a leatherback sea turtle have?
A large pair of front flippers powers the turtles through the water. Like other sea turtles, the leatherback has flattened fore limbs adapted for swimming in the open ocean. Claws are absent from both pairs of flippers. The leatherback’s flippers are the largest in proportion to its body among extant sea turtles.