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Oct 21, 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). Both families are highly aquatic, and most species only appear on coastal beaches for egg laying; however, the green turtle ...
Cheloniidae, Dermochelyidae. Diet: Omnivore. Average Life Span: unknown. Size: 2 feet to 7 feet long. Weight: 70 to 1500 pounds. Current Population Trend: Decreasing.
Sea turtles spend most of their lives swimming and following ocean currents and as water runs along the back of the sea turtle's shell it passes over the barnacles, providing an almost constant water flow and influx of food particles.
- Distribution. Various species of sea turtles are found in warm and temperate seas throughout the world. (See the table below for more information.)
- Habitat. Adults of most species are found in shallow, coastal waters, bays, lagoons, and estuaries. Some also venture into the open sea. Juveniles of some species may be found in bays and estuaries, as well as at sea.
- Migration. Migration habits differ not only among species but also among different populations of the same species. Some sea turtle populations nest and feed in the same general areas; others migrate great distances.
- Population. Total population figures are often unknown because juvenile and male sea turtles do not come ashore and are difficult to count. Population data are usually based on the numbers of adult females that come ashore to nest.
Where do sea turtles live? Sea turtles can be found all around the world, from the cold waters off California to the warm beaches of the Coral Triangle. Males never leave the ocean, while females will come ashore to lay their eggs on sandy beaches during the nesting season.
While these highly migratory species periodically come ashore to either bask or nest, sea turtles spend the bulk of their lives in the ocean. WWF's work on sea turtles focuses on five of those species: green, hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, and olive ridley.
Marine turtles are found in most of the world’s oceans, apart from cold polar seas. They tend to spend their lives in relatively shallow continental shelf waters. Once mature, male turtles never leave the sea, but females come ashore to lay eggs – typically on the same sandy beach where they themselves hatched. © Martin Harvey / WWF.
