Leatherback TurtlesDERMOCHELYS CORIACEA

By: Anthony Kirk, LaLoni Irvin, Sara Chappell

Turtle Tracks

Characteristics of the Leatherback

•When hatched the leatherback has a soft shell

•As the turtle grows older, the shell will become less visible

•The shell consists of bones that are buried deep in the dark brown skin found on the turtles back

Characteristics (continued)• The leatherbacks eat only jellyfish, creustaceans,

cuddle fish, and other animal food.

• They also have the ability to change their body temperatures, unlike other reptiles.

• This turtle does not have a high speed metabolism, which helps to keep it warm.

• Because of it’s ability to live comfortably in it’s environment(s), the leatherback usually lives for about 80 years.

Size

• The leatherbacks are the largest living turtles on Earth.

• The average turtle has a length of 2.1 meters.

• The average weight of these giant turtles is around 545 kilograms.

• The largest leatherback to be recorded was 3 meters long and 900 kilograms.

Population and Homes all around the World

• While many efforts are being made to save the leatherback, only about 20,000-30,000 females are still alive today.

• However, the number of nests that are being found on beaches has increased, mainly in coastal Malaysia.

• The leatherback tends to stay mainly in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Florida., French Guiana, Pacific coast of Mexico , and coastal Malaysia

Saving the Leatherback

•In order to save the leatherback, we must first learn more about it.

•In order to do this scientists are behavior, physiology, and migration routes.

•Through studying the nesting habits of the leatherback, scientists are observing the nesting and mating habits of these turltes.

Sea Turtle Restoration Project

• People are now fighting to get shrimp boats to employ turtle excluder devices, so that turtles can escape from the nets before they drown.

Important Questions Scientists Are Trying To Answer

• Through these studies, scientist hope to answer questions such as: What factors influence leatherback thermoregulation?, What is the hatching success on Costa Rica's Pacific-coast beaches, How does nest location affect turtle offspring?

Bibliography

• Costa Rican Sea Turtles http://www.earthwatch.org/g/Gpaladino.htm

• Encyclopedia Britannica: The Leatherback Turtle http://www.britannica.com/bcom/be/article/1/0,5716,68181+1,00.html

• Encyclopedia Americana: The Leatherback Copyright 1967, Americana Corporation

Bibliography (Continued)

• Leatherback Sea Turtles http://www.nmfs.gov/prot_res/turtles/leather.html

• Leatherback Sea Turtles http://www.hillsborough.k12.nj.us/hhs/endspeci/LBTURTLE.HTM