Species Guide

Sea Turtles

Ancient marine reptiles, largely unchanged for an estimated 110 million years, that migrate thousands of miles between feeding grounds and the beaches where they were born.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Super Family: Chelonioidea
Species: 7–8 recognized species

Quick Facts

Smallest: Kemp's Ridley: 30 in, 80–100 lbs
Largest: Leatherback: 6.5+ ft, 2,000+ lbs
Lifespan: Up to 80 years
Diet: Mostly carnivore (green turtle: herbivore)
Eggs per Nest: 70–190
Status: Endangered or Threatened (all species)

Habitat & Range

Sea turtles inhabit every ocean except the Arctic, favoring warm and temperate waters worldwide. Some species migrate hundreds of miles between their feeding grounds and the beaches where they were born, returning to the very same nesting sites generation after generation.

Sea turtle hatchling crawling to the ocean

Diet & Behavior

Most sea turtles are carnivores, eating jellyfish, crabs, shrimp, sponges, snails, and mollusks — the green turtle is the exception, grazing mainly on seaweed and algae. Unlike other turtles, sea turtles cannot retract their legs and head into their shells. Females come ashore to dig nests and lay 70–190 eggs, which incubate for 6–10 weeks before hatchlings dig their way out and crawl to the ocean at night — only about 1% survive to adulthood.

Did You Know?

Unlike other turtles, sea turtles cannot retract their legs and head into their protective shells.

Conservation Status

All species of sea turtle are classified as endangered or threatened. They are awkward and vulnerable on land, and sharks sometimes prey on them in open water, but the greatest threats today come from bycatch, plastic pollution, beach development, and poaching of eggs and adults. Sea turtles can live up to 80 years in the wild.