Essay about Leatherbacks - 635 Words.
An Overview Sea turtles are large, air-breathing reptiles that inhabit tropical and subtropical seas throughout the world. Their shells consist of an upper part (carapace) and a lower section (plastron). Hard scales (or scutes) cover all but the leatherback, and the number and arrangement of these scutes can be used to determine the species.
There are seven different species of sea turtles. These species include Kemp’s Ridley, Flatback, Loggerhead, Olive Ridley, Leatherback, Hawksbill, and the Hawaiian Green Turtle (Gardner 2004). Unlike many animals the female sea turtle is generally larger than the males.
The aim of this essay is to evaluate the key threats which the leatherback sea turtle faces such as the loss of nesting habitats, dangerous levels of plastic in the ocean, and commercial fishing. As well as to examine an existing conservation approach with the goal of preventing further loss of life.
Turtle prey. Different species of sea turtles feed on different things, though most of them like jellyfish. Leatherback sea turtles specialize in eating jellyfish which keeps jellyfish populations in check. If leatherbacks were to disappear, jellyfish populations would explode.
Unlike other species of sea turtles, which have hard shells, the leatherback's shell is leathery; it feels almost rubbery. The shell is black, often speckled with white or yellow spots. These huge.
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. Pacific leatherbacks migrate from nesting beaches in the Coral.
Leatherback turtles follow the general sea turtle body plan of having a large, dorsoventrally flattened, round body with two pairs of very large flippers and a short tail. Like other sea turtles, the leatherback's flattened forelimbs are specially adapted for swimming in the open ocean. Claws are noticeably absent from both pair of flippers.
Leatherback Turtles in the U.S. Caribbean, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico (NMFS and FWS 1992). Updated information is included only for South Florida. Description The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of the sea turtles and is so distinctive that it is placed in a separate family, Dermochelyidae. The leatherback sea turtle possesses a.
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Sea Turtle Threats. Worldwide, six of the seven sea turtle species are classified as threatened or endangered due to human actions and lifestyles. From getting caught in fishing gear to people eating their meat and eggs, there are lots of ways that these animals are affected by people. 6 top threats to sea turtles.
Sea turtles make incredibly long migrations between feeding and breeding areas. The leatherback travels an average of 3,700 miles each way. Sea turtles mate at sea, then come ashore on beaches to.
The loggerhead sea turtle is accidentally caught more often in the regions of the Mediterranean and Pacific Ocean. The leatherback sea turtle is accidentally caught more in the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. There are other regions which these turtles are caught but not as often.
Without consumers, crooks would not kill sea turtles, and without action, there are not solutions. However, the good part of the relations between sea turtles and humans are the thousands of conscious people that volunteer to support sea turtle survival. Some help to watch the beaches to protect the mothers when they arrive to lay their eggs.
Dermochelyidae (leatherback sea turtles) and Cheloniidae (green turtles, flatback sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, hawksbills, and ridleys) all spend most of their lives in the water, and only appear on the shore to lay their eggs. The largest turtle, the leatherback sea turtle, can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.
The Leatherback turtle is a carnivorous reptile that spends most of its life in the water. Their lifespan is guessed to be 30-45 but there have been recordings of turtle way over that age so most biologists say that the lifespan is unknown.
Leatherback is the largest sea turtle in the world, adults average 4 to 6 feet (125-185 cm) in length and 550 to 1550 pounds (250-700 kg). Photo source: imgur.com Photo source: imgur.com A few interesting facts about leatherback sea turtles.
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