The Leatherback sea turtle being in the family of Dermochelyidae is a very unique type of sea turtle out of the “7-8 species” that there are (Foster). “Leatherback Sea Turtles are the largest of the species of sea turtles alive today. They are found in oceans all around the world and are known to travel large distances throughout their lives” ("Leatherback Sea Turtle Facts For Kids, With Pictures & Video." Active Wild). The Leatherback sea turtle has a very critical time period in their life, birth. The males and females mate several weeks before nesting season begins often only being between “the ages of 8 and 15 years of age”, and after mating only the females come ashore to lay their eggs (World, Seaturtle. "Leatherback Sea Turtle."). This routine takes place during the night, and during this time the female sea turtle “excavates a hole in the sand, depositing around 80 eggs, filling the nest, leaving a large, disturbed area of sand that makes detection by predators difficult, and finally returning to the sea” (“Leatherback” Nat). The sex of the egg is determined by the temperature inside the nest, so a female hatchling is produced at a higher temperature whereas male hatchlings are produced in colder temperatures. When the eggs do hatch the males and females go their separate ways, “Female hatchlings that …show more content…
This particular shell is very different in various ways, like its bone structure, and also its texture which is how it got its name. “Instead of having hard shells like the other sea turtles, the Leatherback’s shell is more like a thick, rubbery skin” it is kind of like leather, hence the name (“Leatherback” Act). Most sea turtles have a hard shell, but the leatherback does not, instead it has a “flexible, tough, leathery skin. It has seven ridges along its length, and is shaped to slip through the water with minimal resistance” (“Leatherback”
Billy's Tarpon Turtle serves Carribean-American fare with a focus on seafood recipes. Guests can stop in for lunch and dinner and enjoy the indoor, mission-style seating, or take their meals out on the waterside deck that overlooks Tarpon lake. The restaurant includes a dock with 16 slips for those who want to come via the lake. There's also an indoor/outdoor bar.
The ornate box turtle is a extremely common species of turtle that lives throughout the United States. The turtles can be easily recognized by their dark brown shell with bright yellow markings. Almost every box turtle is unique in marking, from yellow to orange spots on their body to the different patterns on their shell. The male and female box turtle are distinguishable by their eye color and tail size. Male ornate box turtles have red eyes and longer tails, while females have brown eyes and shorter tails. These turtles have a interesting life style because they usually live their entire life's within only a few acres. The turtles start out the day basking in the sun. from there they go out hunting for food. Ornate box turtles move and hunt
They are known for being active. They are known for being active because turtles are usually slow and it’s fun to watch them as they move and slide into the water and onto the rocks. Your turtle is going to move a lot when they get comfortable with their tank, so you won’t just see them not moving, they will always move. They will be hanging around the rocks you put in the tank with them because, to them rocks mean “comfortable” to them.
CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Achieve3000, August 7, 2015). A rare leatherback sea turtle was found on a South Carolina beach in March 2015. The enormous reptile weighed 476 pounds (216 kilograms). It was spotted on the Yawkey-South Island Reserve in Georgetown County. The creature was brought to the South Carolina Aquarium. Workers named her Yawkey. She was treated with fluids, antibiotics, and vitamins. She was the first leatherback to be found alive in South Carolina. Caretakers were eager to see her returned to the sea.
The Red Eared Slider is one of the most common Mid-South East Coast. They can be found in marshes, ponds, and slow moving bodies of water. Other species of turtles include: Eastern Box Turtle, Common Snapping Turtles, Eastern Painted Turtle, Red Bellied, Bog Turtle, Spotted Turtle, Musk Turtle, Eastern Mud Turtle, Northern Diamondback, and Wood Turtle. The Red Eared Slider is named for the distinctive red streak on each side of its face and is primarily aquatic and will emerge from the water for basking. Even though Red Eared Sliders don't have ears, they feel by vibration. In fact, they carry part of the skeleton on their back, which makes them on of the most interesting reptile. According to Monmouth County Parks, “As with other reptiles,
Hawksbills Turtle are a critically endangered species due mostly to human impact. Hawksbill eggs are still eaten around the world despite the turtle's international protected status, and they are often killed for their flesh and their stunning shells.
The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) distributed in all of the world’s tropical and temperate oceans, consists of 10 subpopulations based on biological and geographical traits. In 2013, 6 of 10 subpopulations have been assessed to estimate global population trend based on 3-generation change (approximately 10-50 years) of nest number as proxies of abundance. The result revealed that 5 of 6 subpopulations show a positive trend (North West Atlantic, Mediterranian, South West Atlantic, South West Indian, and North Pasific) and only one (North West Indian) show opposite trend. However, since North West Indian subpopulation is the second largest nesting population and contributes to a third global population, thus altogether, global population
This stage is generally short in duration. During the hatchling stage, the carapace is about 4.5 centimeters in length. In one study, hatchlings were found to have an average weight of 19.6 grams (Le Buff 1990). The carapace and plastron undergo significant changes after hatching. Hatchlings have two longitudinal ridges on the plastron, which disappear as they grow older. In both hatchlings and juveniles, the vertebral scutes are wider. As they age, the length increases to be greater than the width (Dodd 1988). In hatchlings, the color of the dorsum is dark brown or reddish brown (Kamezaki 2003). Its beak and cheeks are dark brown and its neck is yellow-ochre. The carapace is reddish-brown and darker between the ridge (Dodd 1988). The plastron varies in color and can be creamy white, reddish, or dark brown. Color variations for hatchlings have been observed even within the same clutch (Kamezaki 2003). Hatchlings generally emerge onto the beach surface two days or more after hatching (Miller et al. 2003). Prior to hatching, the nest chamber volume is reduced by hatchling loggerheads as they move to the surface en masse by periodic group thrashing, which scrapes sand from the side of the chamber to the floor, and allows hatchlings to reach the surface. Hatchling activity decreases with an increase in sand temperature, which
Soft shell turtles eat many different types of food. Adult soft shells eat feeder minnows, goldfish, mollusks, and insects but on the other hand baby soft shells eat insects, worms, very small fish, baby crawdads, dead fish, or and any other corpses found in the water.
Can an animal’s beauty be the cause of its extinction? This is the case for the Hawksbill turtle. Nahill clarifies, “people use the turtles’ unique shells for jewelry and other beauty accessories. The Hawksbill turtle is an endangered species, with human impact being the leading cause of its endangerment. Since humans are the cause of their endangerment, it is our duty to raise awareness of such harm before it is too late” (Nahill, 2008). The Hawksbill turtles are commonly known for their beautiful shell. The turtles are captured and killed so their shells could be sold. The shells sell for around $220 per kilogram (Weisler, 2005). As these turtles are being captured and killed leading them to near extinction, we need to understand the overall
Dry, hot, and surrounded by an eerily empty desert, two lone sea turtle lie dormant in their shells sizzling
Powerful and aggressive, the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina, is a heavy-bodied species with a distinctive prehistoric aspect.
According to Doe Fchuster, a volunteer at Henderson Beach State Park, “The number one way to help save and protect the turtles is to pick up others trash and don’t throw any trash on the beaches.” The turtles think that they are eating food and don’t realize that they are eating trash. Fchuster also said,” With the turtles eating trash it can kill them, cause them to choke or make them think that they are full even though they aren’t.” Another way to protect the turtles is to fill up holes because the turtles can get stuck in them. Fchuster additionally said, “Another way to protect the turtles is to knock down the sand castles because they can act as an obstacle that is keeping the turtles from returning to the sea and coming onto land for nesting.” According to Doe Fchuster, “The nesting season for sea turtles is May 1 through October 31. The Loggerhead and Green Sea turtles come to the Emerald coast to nest.”
Leatherback turtles have the most hydrodynamic body design of any sea turtle, with a large, teardrop-shaped body. 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. Leatherback's front flippers can grow up to 2.7 m (8.9 ft) in large specimens, the largest flippers (even in comparison to its body) of any sea turtle. The leatherback has several features that distinguish it from other sea turtles. Its most notable feature is the lack of a bony carapace. Seven distinct ridges rise from the carapace, crossing from the anterior to posterior margin of the turtle's back. Leatherbacks
Leatherback turtles are listed as endangered on the species at risk list in canada and are on the endangered species list in the united states. This is because there is only an estimated 34,000-36,000 female leatherback turtle in the world (male population can’t be known because they stay underwater at all times.) WHat is causing this is egg collection, fishing/netting, and human activity on beaches/ human pollution.