📷 (c) azure27014, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC BY NC
📷 (c) Egor Temnov, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
📷 (c) Jasmin O'Brien, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
IUCN: Vulnerable
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Dermochelys coriacea
KingdomAnimalia›PhylumChordata›ClassReptilia›OrderTestudines›FamilyDermochelyidae›GenusDermochelys
About
Leatherback sea turtles are the largest living turtles and lack the hard bony shell plates of other sea turtles. They migrate thousands of kilometers and can tolerate cold waters while feeding on jellyfish. Egg harvest, bycatch, plastic ingestion, coastal development, and climate-driven nest temperatures threaten populations.
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Open ocean, continental shelves, nesting beaches, and jellyfish-rich waters
🍃Diet Gelatinivore — jellyfish, salps, and other soft-bodied animals
📏Size & Weight Carapace length 1.2–1.8 m
•weight 250–700 kg
⏳Lifespan 30–50 years or more
🗺Range Tropical nesting beaches and temperate to subpolar feeding waters worldwide
ReptileSea Turtle
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Open ocean, continental shelves, nesting beaches, and jellyfish-rich waters
🍃Diet Gelatinivore — jellyfish, salps, and other soft-bodied animals
📏Size & Weight Carapace length 1.2–1.8 m
•weight 250–700 kg
⏳Lifespan 30–50 years or more
🗺Range Tropical nesting beaches and temperate to subpolar feeding waters worldwide
Photo Credits
#1(c) azure27014, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC BY NC
#2(c) Egor Temnov, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC BY NC
#3(c) Jasmin O'Brien, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC BY NC
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