5/20/2023 0 Comments Leatherback seaturtlePacific Leatherback sea turtles migrate from the coast of Costa Rica to the coastal waters of Mexico after nesting season. Sea turtle hatchlings are a migratory process, and it is a long journey. Females often return to the same beach their mother used when they are old enough to begin laying eggs. Once they are hatched and in the open ocean, male leatherbacks never return deliberately to land, though they may be washed ashore when sick, dead, or caught up in a major storm. If the temperature of the eggs falls below 29.5 C, most of the hatchlings will be male, while high temperatures produce females and an even blend of the sexes occurs when the temperature is close to the 29.5 C mark. Female leatherbacks come ashore at night to minimize their exposure to predators and bury clutches of around 80 eggs in the beach sand. Leatherback sea turtles are critically endangered like Hawksbill that migrate up to 6,000 kilometers to reach their breeding grounds. Leatherbacks are seen offshore in June and July during their northward migration to feed on jellyfish along much of the west coast of the United States. ![]() The sea turtles species mating has been observed in the oceans off Baja, California. Adult turtles and Leatherback mating can last for hours, and after mating, the male will usually let go of the female and swim away. Leatherback males use their strong front flippers to clasp onto a female from behind, and then they will sink down to the bottom of the ocean together. Leatherback Sea Turtles mate offshore during the night. They have very tough jaws that enable them to crush the hard shells of their prey such as crabs or mollusks. Leatherbacks also eat carrion and will consume algae, seagrass, fish eggs, flying fish, and squid too. They will also eat other types of invertebrates, including tunicates, corals, anemones, crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins. Leatherbacks are carnivores and their diet consists mainly of jellyfish. Leatherback Sea Turtles have a very interesting diet and nutrition. Leatherback Sea Turtle Diet and Nutrition The turtles can also be found nesting on beaches in Australia, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the east coast of Florida. They are currently thriving in some areas however, Leatherbacks can also be found in regions where Leatherbacks have already died off due to human impacts like fisheries bycatch and global warming. Turtles typically migrate between feeding and nesting locations, and Leatherbacks can be found in the East Atlantic, West Indian, East Pacific, and South Pacific oceans. These sea turtles species are currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, due to human activities like fisheries bycatch and global warming impacts. Leatherbacks are the only sea turtles that feed on jellyfish, and they can be identified by their very large size and leathery shell. These turtles are found in tropical and temperate waters all over the world. Aslo in the Atlantic Ocean and pacific ocean. Although the sea turtles species have the largest distribution of any sea turtle, it is also one of the least studied species. Leatherbacks can be found as far north as the New England coast of North America to south-western France, along Russia’s Pacific Coast, along Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, and in northern Africa. The sea turtles species were once abundant at around 2 to 2.5 million individuals, however, due to human behaviors like fisheries bycatch and climate change impacts, their numbers have dropped. Leatherbacks evolved during the Jurassic Period over 200 million years ago, alongside the first dinosaurs. the Leatherback Sea Turtle scientific name is Dermochelys coriacea. ![]() Leatherback sea turtles are so named because of the characteristic leathery texture of their carapace, which is a result of their lack of scutes. These turtles have been protected from hunting since 1978 but now face new threats from climate change, entanglement in fishing nets, plastic pollution, boat strikes, and habitat loss. These Leatherbacks were hunted to near extinction for their meat and eggs because Leatherbacks were believed to produce more eggs than other sea turtle species and Leatherbacks were easy to catch as they could be found in shallow waters close to shorelines. They are one of the most endangered marine animals on earth. Leatherback sea turtles are the largest turtles in the world and are fourth in size among all current reptiles.
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