Loggerhead sea Turtle
Common Name: Loggerhead sea Turtle
Scientific Name: Caretta
caretta
Taxonomy Comments
This species is also known as Atlantic loggerhead, Pacific loggerhead, cabezon, caguama, grosskopf, and caouane *8817,10815*. Linnaeus described this species as Testudo caretta in 1758 from literature citations about the American islands. Linnaeus designated no type specimen. Then Smith and Taylor established the type locality as theBermuda
Islands
This species is also known as Atlantic loggerhead, Pacific loggerhead, cabezon, caguama, grosskopf, and caouane *8817,10815*. Linnaeus described this species as Testudo caretta in 1758 from literature citations about the American islands. Linnaeus designated no type specimen. Then Smith and Taylor established the type locality as the
Status Comments
This species is threatened by habitat loss, human overuse, disease and predation. The meat and eggs are eaten by humans. They have been used commercially for meat, jewelry and the curio trade although the primary use continues to be the egg harvest. A Recovery Plan for Marine Turtles was approved in 1984. The effort is to maintain populations at current levels by reducing limiting factors until a stable or upward trend is established. Efforts include 1) mitigate factors affecting terrestrial mortality and/or stress, 2) assess and monitor population levels on beaches, 3) mitigate factors affecting marine mortality and/or stress, and 4) assess and monitor estuarine and marine population *8817*. The loggerhead was listed as threatened by the Federal Government in 1978, which was adopted by the VDGIF in 1987 *9286*. The research conducted by VIMS personnel is providing information about the life history of these turtles inVirginia Virginia
This species is threatened by habitat loss, human overuse, disease and predation. The meat and eggs are eaten by humans. They have been used commercially for meat, jewelry and the curio trade although the primary use continues to be the egg harvest. A Recovery Plan for Marine Turtles was approved in 1984. The effort is to maintain populations at current levels by reducing limiting factors until a stable or upward trend is established. Efforts include 1) mitigate factors affecting terrestrial mortality and/or stress, 2) assess and monitor population levels on beaches, 3) mitigate factors affecting marine mortality and/or stress, and 4) assess and monitor estuarine and marine population *8817*. The loggerhead was listed as threatened by the Federal Government in 1978, which was adopted by the VDGIF in 1987 *9286*. The research conducted by VIMS personnel is providing information about the life history of these turtles in
Green sea turtle
Green Turtle-
named for the green color of the fat under its shell.
Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas
Status:
Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas
Status:
U.S. - Listed as Endangered (in danger of extinction
within the foreseeable future) under the U.S. Federal Endangered Species Act. International -
Listed as Endangered (facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the
near future) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources.
Range:
Found in all temperate
and tropical waters throughout the world.
Size: Average more than 3
feet in carapace length.
Weight:
Weight:
Adults average 300 to 350 pounds.
Characteristics:
Characteristics:
Head is small and blunt with a single pair of
prefrontal scales (scales in front of its eyes) and a serrated jaw. Carapace is
bony without ridges and has large, non-overlapping, scutes (scales) present
with only 4 lateral scutes. Body is nearly oval and is more depressed
(flattened) compared to Pacific green turtles. All flippers have 1 visible
claw. The carapace color varies from pale to very dark green and plain to very
brilliant yellow, brown and green tones with radiating stripes. The plastron
varies from white, dirty white or yellowish in the Atlantic populations to dark
grey-bluish-green in the Pacific populations. Hatchlings are dark-brown or
nearly black with a white underneath and white flipper margins. For comparison,
the Pacific green turtle (aka Black Sea Turtle) has a body that is strongly
elevated or vaulted and looks less round in a frontal view than other green sea
turtles. The color is where you see the biggest difference with Pacific greens
having a dark grey to black carapace and the hatchlings are a dark-brown or
black with narrow white border with white underneath.
Habitat:
Habitat:
Mainly stay near the coastline and around islands and live in
bays and protected shores. Rarely are they observed in the open ocean.
Diet:
Diet:
Changes significantly
during its life. When less than 8 to 10 inches in length eat worms, young
crustaceans, aquatic insects, grasses and algae. Once green turtles reach 8 to
10 inches in length, they mostly eat sea grass and algae, the only sea turtle
that is strictly herbivorous as an adult. Their jaws are finely serrated which
aids them in tearing vegetation.
Nesting:
Nesting:
Nest at intervals of 2, 3, or more years. Nests between 3 to 5
times per season. Lays an average of 115 eggs in each nest. Eggs incubate for
about 60 days.
Population Estimate:
Population Estimate:
203,000 nesting females.
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