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

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

3. 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

4. Sea Turtle Anatomy

5. 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 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

6. 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 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

7. Species: Kemp’s Ridley
Smallest & most endangered species
Shell around 2 feet long and 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

8. 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 feet long and lbs
Found in coastal bays, estuaries & ocean
Pop: 800,000 nesting females

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

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

11. 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

12. 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 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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?