Do Now #2 Create a Venn Diagram comparing & contrasting sea turtles to land turtles Sea Turtle Land Turtle similarities

Sea Turtles EQ: What are unique characteristics of sea turtles?

Sea Turtle Classification Aquatic reptiles Breath air Inhabit tropical & subtropical habitats Anatomy Carapace: upper part of the shell Plastron: lower part of the shell Scutes: hard scales found on most species Beak: modified jaw to compensate for lack of teeth Flippers: modified arms & legs to allow for swimming Unlike land turtles, the cannot retract their head & arms

Sea Turtle Anatomy

Very little is know about their lives at sea Sea Turtle Behavior Very little is know about their lives at sea Can be carnivores, herbivores or omnivores eating anything from seaweed to jellyfish, crabs, coral, shrimp or squid Females return to land to nest Most of what we know about them is from the time they spend out of the water They can lay between 50-200 ping pong ball shaped eggs and nest multiple times per nesting season Remarkably, most return to the same beach where they were born to lay their own eggs Sex is determined by the temperature of the nest Males spend the rest of their lives in the ocean

Little is known about the lives of juvenile turtles Sea Turtle Behavior Little is known about the lives of juvenile turtles Scientists believe they spend this vulnerable time hiding in beds of seaweed eating and growing slowly They reach reproductive maturity at 15-50 years old They first appear at feeding grounds once they reach dinner-plate size There is no way to tell how old a sea turtle is from its physical appearance Some are believed to reach 100 years old or more

Species: Kemp’s Ridley Smallest & most endangered species Shell around 2 feet long and 70-108 lbs Found almost exclusively in the Gulf of Mexico Their only major nesting beach is a small strip of coastline in Mexico Pop: 2,500 nesting females

Listed as a Threatened species Named for its olive green colored shell Species: olive Ridley Listed as a Threatened species Named for its olive green colored shell Shell about 2-2.5 feet long and 77-100 lbs Found in coastal bays, estuaries & ocean Pop: 800,000 nesting females

Pop: 22,900 nesting females Species: Hawksbill Listed as an Endangered species Named for its hawk-like beak Shell is 2.5-3 feet long and 101-154 lbs Found in coastal reefs, rocky areas, estuaries & lagoons Harvested for their ornate shells Pop: 22,900 nesting females

Pop: 44,560 nesting females Species: loggerhead Listed as a Threatened species Named for its large head, have a heart-shaped shell Shell is 2.5-3.5 feet long and 155-375 lbs Prefer coastal bays, estuaries & shallow ocean Specialized in eating shelled organisms Pop: 44,560 nesting females

Pop: 20,285 nesting females Species: flatback Listed as a Vulnerable species Named for its flat carapace that can reach 3.5 feet They weigh an average of 189 lbs Found in inshore waters, bays, coastal reefs and grassy shallows of Australia & Papua New Guinea Pop: 20,285 nesting females

Pop: 88,520 nesting females Species: Green Listed as an Endangered species Named for the green color of the fat under its shell, which can be 3-4 feet long, and weigh 240-420 lbs Their diet is one that varies by age; omnivores as juveniles and herbivores as adults Found near coastlines, islands and bays, particularly those we seagrass beds, rarely seen in the open ocean Pop: 88,520 nesting females

Species: Leatherback Pop: 35,860 nesting females Listed as an Endangered species Named for its unique shell that has a thin layer of rubbery skin strengthened by thousands of bony plates making it appear “leathery” Their flexible shell can be 4-6 ft long (longest ever was almost 10 ft from beak to tail) and weigh up to 2,019 lbs Widest distribution: around the globe as north as Florida and as south as South Africa Tremendous travelers: can swim for thousands of miles yearly, even against ocean currents and dive to 3,000 feet deep Pop: 35,860 nesting females

Threats to Sea Turtles Natural Threats As youngsters they are very vulnerable, only 1 in 1000 will reach adulthood Raccoons, crab and ants feed on turtle eggs Once they hatch, hordes of animals wait to feed on them including birds and crabs They are a little bit safer as adults when they are only know to be preyed upon by sharks

Threats to Sea Turtles Human Threats Eggs and adult turtles are harvested to make soup Captured and killed for their shells Marine debris, like being tangled in discarded fishing line or consumption of plastic bags Pollutants like fertilizers and oils lead to life-threatening illnesses in turtles of all ages

Threats to Sea Turtles Human Threats Commercial long-line and trawl fishing also trap turtle preventing them from surfacing Coastal development Lights discourage turtles from nesting in their normal areas Installation of sea walls prevents them from reaching their nesting places Beach replenishment makes it more difficult for turtles to dig their nests Human presence & activities on beach disturb nesting turtles and can destroy their nests

Name 3 threats to sea turtles Closure 3-2-1 Name 3 threats to sea turtles What are two ways the people can learn about their behaviors? What is 1 thing you could do the help sea turtle populations?