Leatherback Sea Turtle

Overview

The Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile on Earth. Unlike other sea turtles, it lacks a hard, bony shell, possessing instead a unique carapace covered in oily, leathery skin marked by seven distinct longitudinal ridges. This highly migratory species is the sole member of the family Dermochelyidae and is found in tropical, subtropical, and even subpolar oceans worldwide.

Appearance

Adults can reach lengths of up to 2.7 meters and weigh as much as 900 kilograms. Their dark, smooth skin often features pale spotting. A key identifying feature is the pair of cusps on the upper jaw, which, along with backward-pointing spines in the throat, helps them capture and consume gelatinous prey.

Biology & Behavior

Leatherbacks are remarkable for their ability to maintain body temperatures significantly higher than the surrounding water, an adaptation that allows them to forage in cold, temperate regions. They are champion divers, capable of reaching depths exceeding 1,000 meters. While they spend most of their lives in the open ocean, they undertake extensive migrations to return to tropical and subtropical sandy beaches for nesting.

Feeding

These turtles are specialized predators that feed almost exclusively on gelatinous zooplankton, such as jellyfish and salps. Their throat anatomy is specifically evolved to trap these soft-bodied organisms while expelling excess water.

Reproduction

Females exhibit natal homing behavior, returning to specific nesting beaches to deposit clutches of approximately 100 eggs. Nesting typically occurs at night to minimize heat stress and predation risk. Hatchlings face high mortality rates, and the species as a whole is considered vulnerable, with many subpopulations facing critical threats from fisheries bycatch, habitat loss, and pollution.