Post on 24-Dec-2015
Common name Scientific name
Common name: Leatherback Scientific name: Dermochelys coriacea
Habitat Usually live in the open ocean As far north as Alaska Far south as tip of Africa
History
Size: 4 to 6 ft in length Weight: 660 to 1,100 lbs
History cont.
They eat mostly jellyfish and soft bodied animals
Usually lay around 80 fertilized eggs Population: 34,000-36,000 nesting
females
History cont.
The turtles can be found world wide These turtles can swim farther and faster
than any of kind
Leatherback vs. Other turtles
Is it a solitary or pack animal?
Leatherback sea turtles are solitary animals
Reasons why Leatherback Turtles are Endangered
Beaches being polluted and destroyed takes away where the turtles can lay their eggs
Commercial fishermen catch them in their nets
In Malaysia the eggs are eaten for food In Asia Leatherback’s are hunted for their
oils and flesh Been on the endangered species list
since 1970
Present day world wide size
100,000 females Males are unknown
Conservation efforts
The use of Turtle Excluder Devices and protection of critical nesting habitats CITES trade
Work cited
http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=leatherback http://nmlc.org/2011/07/sea-turtles-part-3-leatherbacks-loggerheads-and-gre
ens/
http://www.seaturtleinc.org/education/about-sea-turtles/leatherback/ http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01700/turtle-sand_1700453i.jpg http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/images/seaturtles.jpg http://www.bsu.edu/eft/belize/p/libt/i/types.jpg http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/newsroom/photos/300turtle.jpg http://wildwhales.org/leatherback-sea-turtle/ http://
www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/biodiversity-and-environmental-halls/hall-of-biodiversity/promos/for-educators/endangered-leatherback-sea-turtle
http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=A02R
Quiz
1. How much does the Leatherback sea turtle weigh?
2. What was the largest recorded size of the Leatherback Sea turtle?
3. Where are the main nesting areas located?
4. What is the lowest temperature a Leatherback can be in?
5. What makes up the Leatherbacks “Shell”?
3 endangered species in VA
Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel Red-Cockaded woodpecker North Atlantic right Whale