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Leatherback Sea Turtle

Reptiles

The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all living sea turtles and one of the largest living reptiles overall, capable of reaching nearly two metres in shell length and weighing several hundred kilograms, distinguished from all other sea turtles by its rubbery, leathery skin rather than a hard, bony shell, which is instead composed of small bone plates embedded beneath a thick layer of oily connective tissue. It has an unusually wide range for a reptile, tolerating colder waters than any other sea turtle thanks to a form of internal heat regulation that lets it maintain a body temperature warmer than its surroundings even in near-freezing seas. Leatherbacks feed almost entirely on jellyfish and other soft-bodied invertebrates, and they undertake some of the longest migrations of any marine reptile, crossing entire ocean basins between feeding and nesting grounds. The species has declined severely across much of its range due to egg poaching, bycatch in fishing gear and ingestion of plastic debris mistaken for jellyfish, and several regional populations are now considered critically endangered.

Facts

Classification

Diet

Carnivore 2

System (Realm)

Marine 3

Relationship to People

Hunted or Fished 1

Living or Extinct

Yes 1

Derived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status.

Scientific Name

Dermochelys coriacea 1

Conservation Status

Vulnerable 1

Disputed

Population Estimate

34,500 1

Wikipedia cites a recent global estimate of 26,000 to 43,000 adult females nesting annually, itself a steep decline from about 115,000 estimated in 1980. This is a count of nesting females per year, not a full census of the species; the midpoint of the cited range is recorded here.

Identification

Distinguishing Appearance

Seven distinct ridges run the length of its carapace from front to back, a feature unique among sea turtles and one of the clearest ways to identify a leatherback at a glance. 1

Comparison

NatureServe Rank

G2 Imperiled 4

CITES Appendix

Appendix I 1

Connections

Child Taxon Of

Source Wikidata: Leatherback Sea Turtle

In Biome

Source Leatherback Sea Turtle (Wikipedia)

In Ecosystem

Great Barrier Reef

Source Wikidata: Seahorse

Additional Source Great Barrier Reef - WikipediaArticle text

Gulf of California

Source Wikidata: Leatherback Sea Turtle

Additional Source Gulf of California (Wikipedia)Article text

In the Other Atlases

Found In

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Antigua and Barbuda

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Dominican Republic

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Equatorial Guinea

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Federated States of Micronesia

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Republic of the Congo

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United Arab Emirates

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Sources

1. Leatherback Sea Turtle (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia Foundation

Lead section, opening sentence
The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), sometimes called the lute turtle, leathery turtle or simply the luth, is a large species of sea turtle.
Lead section, closing sentence
The species as a whole is considered vulnerable, and some of its subpopulations are critically endangered.
Anatomy and physiology section, ridge description sentence
Seven distinct ridges rise from the carapace, crossing from the cranial to caudal margin of the turtle's back.
Distribution section, population estimate sentence
Recent estimates of global nesting populations are that 26,000 to 43,000 females nest annually, which is a dramatic decline from the 115,000 estimated in 1980.
Article text
coriacea is listed on CITES Appendix I, which makes export/import of this species (including parts) illegal.
In Biome: Marine, Lead section
The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), sometimes called the lute turtle, leathery turtle or simply the luth, is a large species of sea turtle.

View the Source

2. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Dermochelys coriacea

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyPrimary Diet, Dermochelys coriacea

Quote, Primary Diet, Dermochelys coriacea

Primary Diet carnivore carnivore

View the Source

3. GBIF Species API

GBIF Species APIView the Source

4. NatureServe Explorer: Dermochelys coriacea

NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)

Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)

"roundedGRank": "G2"

View the Source

Wikidata: Leatherback Sea Turtle

Wikidata Q120043, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
Child Taxon Of: Dermochelyidae, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain

View the Source

Great Barrier Reef - Wikipedia

In Ecosystem: Great Barrier Reef, Article text

Quote, In Ecosystem: Great Barrier Reef, Article text

Six species of sea turtles come to the reef to breed: the green sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, hawksbill turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, flatback turtle, and the olive ridley.

View the Source

Gulf of California (Wikipedia)

WikipediaIn Ecosystem: Gulf of California, Article text

Quote, In Ecosystem: Gulf of California, Article text

In addition to a wide range of endemic creatures, such as the critically endangered vaquita and various species of sea urchin, it also hosts many migratory species, such as the humpback whale, California gray whale, killer whale, manta ray, Humboldt squid and leatherback sea turtle, and the world's largest animal, the blue whale.

View the Source

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