Marine turtles, also called sea turtles, have outlived the natural calamities, the rise and destruction of other species such as dinosaurs, but now face extinction from their greatest predator: man.
There are seven marine turtle species worldwide, all sharing much the same life cycles and characteristics, though the features are distinct. See these photos.
The species marked below in bold are those found in Latin America. Their territory ranges from Central America, along the warm Pacific and Caribbean coasts down the Atlantic as far as southern Brazil and Uruguay. There are green turtles on the Galapagos archipelago, but do not confuse them with the giant tortoises.
There are protection and conservation efforts to save the turtles. In Uruguay, the Karumbé Project has been monitoring two foraging and developmental areas of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) for five years. In Panama, the Chiriquí Beach, Panama Hawksbill Tracking Project is part of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation & Sea Turtle Survival League.
Three of the seven species are critically endangered:
"Common Name: Hawksbill - named for its narrow head and hawk-like beak.
Scientific Name: Eretmochelys imbricata
Description: The hawksbill is one of the smaller sea turtles. Head is narrow and has 2 pairs of prefrontal scales (scales in front of its eyes). Jaw is not serrated. Carapace is bony without ridges and has large, over-lapping scutes (scales) present and has 4 lateral scutes. Carapace is eliptical in shape. Flippers have 2 claws. The carapace is orange, brown or yellow and hatchlings are mostly brown with pale blotches on scutes.
Size: Adults are 2.5 to 3 feet in carapace length (76-91 cm).
Weight: Adults can weight between 100 to 150 pounds (40-60 kg).
Diet: The hawksbill's narrow head and jaws shaped like a beak allow it to get food from crevices in coral reefs. They eat sponges, anemones, squid and shrimp.
Habitat: Typically found around coastal reefs, rocky areas, estuaries and lagoons.
Nesting: Nest at intervals of 2, 3, or more years. Nests between 2 to 4 times per season. Lays an average 160 eggs in each nest. Eggs incubate for about 60 days.
Range: Most tropical of all sea turtles. Tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans."
Info thanks to Hawksbill Turtles.
"Common Name: Leatherback - named for its unique shell which is composed of a layer of thin, tough, rubbery skin, strengthened by thousands of tiny bone plates that makes it look "leathery."
Scientific Name: Dermochelys coriacea
Description: Head has a deeply notched upper jaw with 2 cusps. The leatherback is the only sea turtle that lacks a hard shell. Its carapace is large, elongated and flexible with 7 distinct ridges running the length of the animal. Composed of a layer of thin, tough, rubbery skin, strengthened by thousands of tiny bone plates, the carapace does not have scales, except in hatchlings. All flippers are without claws. The carapace is dark grey or black with white or pale spots, while the plastron is whitish to black and marked by 5 ridges. Hatchlings have white blotches on carapace.
Size: 4 to 6 feet (121-183 cm). The largest leatherback ever recorded was almost 10 feet (305 cm) from the tip of its beak to the tip of its tail and weighed in at 2,019 pounds (916 kg).
Weight: 550 to 1,545 pounds (250-700 kg).
Diet: Leatherbacks have delicate, scissor-like jaws. Their jaws would be damaged by anything other than a diet of soft-bodied animals, so they feed almost exclusively on jellyfish. It is remarkable that this large, active animal can survive on a diet of jellyfish, which are composed mostly of water and appear to be a poor source of nutrients.
Habitat: Primarily found in the open ocean, as far north as Alaska and as far south as the southern tip of Africa, though recent satellite tracking research indicates that leatherbacks feed in areas just offshore. Known to be active in water below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the only reptile known to remain active at such a low temperature.
Nesting: Nest at intervals of 2 to 3 years, though recent research has indicated they can nest every year. Nests between 6 to 9 times per season, with an average of 10 days between nestings. Lays an average of 80 fertilized eggs, the size of billiard balls, and 30 smaller, unfertilized eggs, in each nest. Eggs incubate for about 65 days. Unlike other species of sea turtles, leatherback females may change nesting beaches, though they tend to stay in the same region.
Range: Most widely distributed of all sea turtles. Found world wide with the largest north and south range of all the sea turtle species. With its streamlined body shape and the powerful front flippers, a leatherback can swim thousands of miles over open ocean and against fast currents."
Info thanks to Leatherback Turtles.
