Loggerhead Turtle
Informational Poster
Habitat and Scientific Name
Habitat: Loggerhead turtles spend most of their lives in the open ocean and in shallow coastal waters. Adults and juveniles live along the continental shelf. Loggerheads rarely go to the shore, other than females' brief visits to construct nests and deposit eggs. The loggerhead turtle is usually found in the northwestern region of Atlantic Ocean (Campbell, 2015). Picture source: http://www.wallpapersdb.org/animals/loggerhead-turtle-wallpaper-2598.htm
Physical Characteristics
Special abilities/significance
Reproduction and Niche
Niche: Loggerheads have a very diverse diet and eat many different kinds of organisms. Loggerheads feed on hard-shelled prey such as whelks and conch, but they also feed on bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as gastropods, sponges, bivalves, decapods, and many more organisms. Egg and nestling predators include: ghost crabs, snakes, and rats. Male loggerheads are rarely attacked due to their size, but they can be preyed on by large sharks, seals, and killer whales (Bolton, 2014).
Works Cited:
Bolton, A. (2014, December 15). Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta). Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/loggerhead.htm
Campbell, D. (2015, January 1). Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) - Information on Loggerhead Sea Turtle - Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://eol.org/pages/1056566/overview
Marine Turtle Specialist Group. (1996). Caretta caretta: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from www.iucnredlist.org
Wilsom, E., Miller, K., Allison, D., & Magliocca, M. (2006, June 6). Why Healthy Oceans Need Sea Turtles. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/Why_Healthy_Oceans_Need_Sea_Turtles.pdf