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| Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) |
 The giants of marine turtles, leatherback sea turtles are oceanic reptiles that can reach 6 to 8 feet in length and weigh 1,200 to 1,500 pounds. These dark green or black skinned turtles are often speckled with white or pink blotches. Their name comes from their leathery covered carapace, which is actually comprised of many thin, interlocking bone-like plates which make up the carapace.
These turtles are listed as a federally protected endangered species. Worldwide population estimates indicate a decline in numbers of leatherbacks between 1980 and 1995. This decline is attributed to a number of factors including loss of nesting habitats, destruction of nests by poachers, ingestion of marine debris, propeller wounds and interactions with commercial fishing operations. Leatherbacks have several interesting anatomical features besides being "soft - shelled." They are able to maintain their core (deep) body temperature considerably higher than their surroundings. - disputing the traditional theory that all reptiles are "cold blooded." This extraordinary ability explains why leatherbacks can range as far north as Newfoundland, Greenland and Iceland where the sea temperature, even in the summer, is only in the 30 - 40 degree range. In addition, they are one of the few animals that feed exclusively on jellyfish. In fact, their esophagus has long backward pointing spines which aid in their swallowing such soft, slippery food. Leatherbacks are commonly seen in Playa Grande National Park as well as in Long Island's offshore waters during the late summer. They often bask or rest at the surface, which may explain why a number of them wash ashore mortally wounded by ship propellers. These unusual reptiles also fall victim to ingestion of plastics floating on the surface which resembles the jellyfish they catch for food. The life expectancy of leatherbacks is not known, but first breeding is thought to be between 10 and 15 years old. Female leatherbacks come ashore to nest every 2 to 3 years in the warm sands of tropical beaches. Hatchlings must make their way to the ocean quickly to avoid predatory seabirds. from this time onward leatherbacks (with the exception of nesting females) spend their lives at sea. The leatherback turtle was listed as endangered throughout its range on June 2, 1970. Nesting populations of leatherback sea turtles are especially difficult to discern because the females frequently change beaches. However, current estimates are that 20,000-30,000 female leatherbacks exist worldwide. Leatherbacks do not nest frequently enough in the United States to assess an accurate trend. The recovery plan for the leatherback sea turtle concludes that nesting trends in the United States appear stable, but the population faces significant threats from incidental take in commercial fisheries and marine pollution. Populations have declined in Mexico, Costa Rica, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad, Tobago, and Papua New Guniea. Leatherbacks are seriously declining at all major nesting beaches throughout the Pacific. The decline is dramatic along the Pacific coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica and coastal Malaysia. Nesting along the Pacific coast of Mexico declined at an annual rate of 22% over the last 12 years, and the Malaysian population represents 1% of the levels recorded in the 1950s. The collapse of these nesting populations was precipitated by a tremendous overharvest of eggs, direct harvest of adults, and incidental mortality from fishing. In the Atlantic and Caribbean, the largest nesting assemblages are found in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Florida. Nesting data for these locations have been collected since the early 1980's and indicate that the annual number of nests is likely stable; however, information regarding the status of the entire leatherback population in the Atlantic is lacking. Nesting activity has also declined in French Guiana due to erosion of nesting beaches, the population appears to have shifted to Surinam, where annual numbers of nests have risen from less than 100 in 1967 to 5,565 in 1977 and 9,816 in 1987. Habitat destruction, incidental catch in commercial fisheries, the harvest of eggs and flesh are the greatest threats to the survival of the leatherback. Biology: The leatherback is the largest living turtle, and is so distinctive as to be placed in a separate taxonomic family, Dermochelyidae. The carapace is distinguished by a rubber-like texture, about 4 cm thick, and made primarily of tough, oil-saturated connective tissue. No sharp angle is formed between the carapace and the plastron, resulting in the animal being somewhat barrel-shaped. The average curved carapace length for adult turtles is 155 cm and weight ranges from 200-700 kg. Hatchlings are dorsally mostly black and are covered with tiny scales; the flippers are margined in white, and rows of white scales appear as stripes along the length of the back. Hatchlings average 61.3 mm long and 45.8 g in weight. In the adult, the skin is black and scaleless. The undersurface is mottled pinkish-white and black. The front flippers are proportionally longer than in any other sea turtle, and may span 270 cm in an adult. In both adults and hatchlings, the upper jaw bears two tooth-like projections at the premaxillary-maxillary sutures. Age at sexual maturity is unknown. |
National Parks |
ARENAL VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK | BARRA HONDA NATIONAL PARK | BRAULIO CARRILLO NATIONAL PARK | CAHUITA NATIONAL PARK | CHIRRIPÓ NATIONAL PARK | CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK | GUANACASTE NATIONAL PARK | IRAZÚ VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK | JUAN CASTRO BLANCO NATIONAL PARK | MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK | PALO VERDE NATIONAL PARK | PIEDRAS BLANCAS NATIONAL PARK | PLAYA GRANDE MARINE TURTLE NATIONAL PARK | POÁS VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK | RINCÓN DE LA VIEJA NATIONAL PARK | SANTA ROSA NATIONAL PARK | TENORIO VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK & VICINITY | TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK | WHALE MARINE NATIONAL PARK | SEA TURTLES | MAP |
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