Red Ear Sliders, Sea Turtles and Other Turtle Species
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Loggerhead Turtle:
Caretta caretta
| Size: Their shell can
range between 35 inches (90 cm) and 3 feet (1 meter) |
| Weight: They can reach
around 154 pounds (70 kg) and more |
| Habitat: They are found
mostly in shallow waters over the continental shelf |
| Food: Carnivorous.
Their menu consists of mainly mollusks and crustaceans.
They also feed on giant clams, Queen conchs, and around
the Florida area the horseshoe crabs. |
The Loggerhead Sea Turtle still remains widespread,
however due to the rise in coastal development, nesting
sites are declining. Also light disturbances may be
connected to false crawls (when sea turtles go ashore
to nest unsuccessfully). Light disturbances have appeared
to cause disorientation in the nesting females and
their hatchlings. They are also threatened by incidental
capture in trawls and local exploitation. In the United
States alone an estimated 6,000 to 15,000 nest between
the late spring and summer with around 100 to 125
eggs in a clutch. They nest four to five times a season. |
References: Groombridge, B. 1982. The IUCN
Amphibia Reptilia Red Data Book:
Testudines, Crocodylia, Rhynchocephalia. IUCN, Switzerland
Photo courtesy of photographer John White
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Species
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