Leatherback Sea Turtle
A.M.
Discription
- the Leatherback Sea Turtle is the largest turtle in the world
- the Leatherback Sea Turtle is so distinctive that it has its own family called dermochelys
- the shell is slightly flexible and has arubbery texture
- it is the only sea turtle to have that type of shell
- largest Leatherback ever recorded was 916kg
Food Chain and Habitat
- feed on jellyfish
- lives in tropical and temperate waters
- lives in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
- some type of sharks and killer whales may try to eat them but they rarely do
- they lay eggs in sand y beaches packed with vegetation
Adaptation
- they store oxygen in their lungs and muscles to go deep sea diving
- can dive 1000 meters deep
- they do not have teeth, instead they have spikes down their throats that keep the jellyfish from swimming out of their mouths
- they lay 100 eggs at a time
- they have a slow heart rate
Reasons for Endangerment
- polluted oceans
- getting caught inside fishing nets
- mistakes clear plastic as jellyfish and swallows
- 44% of the Leatherback Sea Turtles have plastic in their guts
- people collect eggs without control
- collision with boats