1. Sea Turtles: Leatherback

2. Sea Turtles  Seven types of sea turtles:  Loggerhead, Kemp’s Ridley, Olive Ridley  Green, Hawksbill, Flatback  Six of these species are on the redlist as either threatened or endangered  Leatherback is the most critically endangered

3. Biology of the Leatherback  Largest living turtle  Averages seven feet  Average weight is 1,300 pounds  Can grow to 8.5 feet and 2,000 pounds

4.  Ability to retain its body heat while swimming through deep waters  Dives to depths of up to 3,000 feet during the night but active day and night  Travel at a speed of 22 miles per hour  Leatherbacks are the fastest, can dive deeper, and are bigger than any other turtle

5. Habitat  Tropical Water  Prefers deep water  Shallow water on occasion  Beaches for nesting

6. Global Range  Tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Indian Ocean  Extend as far from Newfoundland, British Isles through the Cape of Good Hope entering the Mediterranean Sea

7. Life Span and Behavior  Leatherbacks can live as old as 30 years and up to 50 years or more  Little is known about their behavior  Sleep while floating on surface of the water  Violent if captured  Extremely vocal when in distress

8. Diets of the Leatherback  Jellyfish, crabs, shrimp, and mollusks  Snails, algae, sponges, and seaweed  Adults feed independently unless feeding on a large number of jellyfish

9. Reproduction  Lays eggs on a beach  Nesting seasons (8-12 days)  Nesting takes place when female simply chooses an undisturbed area

10.  Large clutch size: 50-170 eggs  Incubation period is 55-65 days  Hatchlings are 2-3 inches in length and weigh approximately less than 1 pound

12. Threats to Sea Turtles  Predators-sharks, raccoons, crabs, and humans  Nesting areas disturbed- human activity and development  Commercial fishing-entanglement -55 thousand sea turtles killed -increasing cause of mortality worldwide

13.  Pollution-balloons, bottles, garbage/ plastic bags -Cannot distinguish between a plastic bag and a jelly fish (main component of diet) -Oil spills and fertilizers (disease now killing turtles is linked to pollution in oceans)  Artificial lighting- lights from developments discourage females from nesting and hatchlings become disoriented, wandering inland dying of predation and hydration

14.  Easy prey -poachers hunt for eggs, used in medicines, jewelry, food, and oil

15. Conservation  Environmental organizations created to eliminate poachers  Restriction of people at nesting areas  Restrictions on lights near beaches

16.  “Turtle Safe Lighting” (coated and compact florescent lamp under 13 watts)  Turtle Excluder Devices (TED’s) –grid of bars with opening at top or bottom