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- Sea turtle, any of seven species of marine turtles belonging to the families Dermochelyidae (leatherback sea turtles) and Cheloniidae (green turtles, flatback sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, hawksbills, and ridleys).
www.britannica.com/animal/sea-turtleSea turtle | Description, Species, Habitat, & Facts | Britannica
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- Leatherback Turtle. The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest sea turtle. These gigantic reptiles can reach lengths of over 6 feet and weights of over 2,000 pounds.
- Green Turtle. The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is large, with a carapace of up to 3 feet long. Green turtles weigh up to 350 pounds. Their carapace can include shades of black, gray, green, brown, or yellow.
- Loggerhead Turtles. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are a reddish-brown turtle with a very large head. They are the most common turtle that nests in Florida.
- Hawksbill Turtle. The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate) grows to lengths of 3 1/2 feet long and can weigh up to 180 pounds. Hawksbill turtles were named for the shape of their beak, which looks similar to the beak of a raptor.
- Sea Turtle Classification
- 7 Types of Sea Turtles Species with Scientific Names and Photos
- Sea Turtle Conservation Status & Threats
- 5 Amazing Sea Turtle Fun Facts
All 7 species of sea turtles are part of the kingdom Animalia, the phylum Chordata, and the class Reptilia. This means that all sea turtles are reptiles, just like crocodiles, snakes, and lizards. Below the class Reptilia, all sea turtles are part of the order Testudines. This includes all of the turtles, which are defined as reptiles with shells t...
Although there are more than 300 different types of turtles on our planet, only 7 species can be classified as sea turtles. Here’s what you need to know about each species:
Every single one of the 7 types of sea turtles is listed either as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered (except 1 species that’s not well-studied). As a result, sea turtles are at a particularly high risk of extinction in the coming decades and centuries. Although each of the 7 sea turtle species is unique, they generally share the same...
Fancy yourself as a sea turtle expert? Here are some awesome sea turtle fun facts that you can use to impress your friends and family with your turtle knowledge:
- Green Sea Turtle, Chelonia mydas. The Green Sea Turtle is given its name because of the green colour of fat underneath its shell. It is found in all temperate and tropical waters throughout the world, and stays near coastlines, around islands and in bays – especially in areas with lots of seagrass!
- Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Caretta caretta. The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is given its name because of its exceptionally large head. This species prefers to feed in estuaries, coastal bays and in shallow water along the continental shelves of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
- Hawksbill Sea Turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata. The Hawksbill Sea Turtle is given its name because of its narrow head and hawk-like beak. It is one of the smaller species of sea turtle and is typically found tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, around coastal reefs, rocky areas, estuaries and lagoons.
- Leatherback Sea Turtle, Dermochelys coriacea. The Leatherback Sea Turtle is given its name because of its unique shell. Unlike other sea turtles, its shell is composed of a layer of thin, tough, rubbery skin which is strengthened by thousands of tiny bone plates which make it look leathery.
- Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) Largest sea turtle species. 3rd fastest reptile. Apart from being the largest of the sea turtle species (reaching weights of up to 2,000 lbs), leatherback turtles are unique in a variety of ways.
- Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Green turtles get their name from the color of their fat, not the color of their shell. Green turtles nest in more than 80 countries.
- Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) Due to their diet, the flesh of hawksbills is toxic to humans. Hawksbills are adapted to crawl over rocks and reefs to reach nesting grounds.
- Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Loggerheads carry many organisms like barnacles and crabs on their shells. One population of loggerhead migrates from Japan to Mexico, where the forage and mature.
Information About Sea Turtles: Species Identification Key. Trying to identify a species of sea turtle that you saw? Use the following key with diagrams to solve the mystery! Start with Number 1 and follow the links until you find the species.
Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and olive ridley.
Jun 6, 2024 · Sea turtle, any of seven species of marine turtles belonging to the families Dermochelyidae (leatherback sea turtles) and Cheloniidae (green turtles, flatback sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, hawksbills, and ridleys).
