Leatherback sea turtles are the largest living sea turtles and occur across the world’s major oceans. Fisheries bycatch, pollution, habitat pressures, and climate-related changes affect different populations. The evidence panel distinguishes the global assessment from the United States legal listing.
- Status: See the evidence panel for the global assessment and United States legal listing.
- Known as: Leatherback Sea Turtle, Lute turtle, trunkback turtle.
- Population: No single global total is used; see the evidence panel for scope-specific status sources.
Leatherback Sea Turtles feed exclusively on jellyfish, which means that if there is an overabundance of them it may actually help Leatherbacks because they need so much food for so long.
But what about when there’s not enough jellyfish? What does this mean for Leatherback Sea Turtle populations? If you want to learn more about Leatherbacks or how your actions can protect them continue reading.
Description
Leatherback sea turtles are the largest turtles in the world and are fourth in size among all current reptiles.
Conservation assessments must retain their geographic and legal scope. See the evidence panel for the global assessment and United States legal listing.
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.
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.
Name and Evolution
Leatherback sea turtles are so named because of the characteristic leathery texture of their carapace, which is a result of their lack of scutes. the Leatherback Sea Turtle scientific name is Dermochelys coriacea.
The leatherback lineage is ancient, but this page does not repeat an unsupported historical global abundance estimate. Current status claims are documented with their scope and source in the evidence panel.
Anatomy and Appearance
Their body is protected only by leathery, oily skin, rather than a hard shell.
These Leatherbacks can grow up to 2,000 pounds and 7 feet in width! The leatherback’s front flippers can grow to a spread of 2.7 meters, and the animal itself measures from 1.8 to 2.2 meters long.
These massive turtles weigh 250 to 700 kilograms. The biggest ever found was slightly longer than 3 meters and weighed 916 kilograms.
These turtles are well adapted to colder waters, with the ability to retain body heat, swimming muscles that work at a wide variety of temperatures, and brown fat sheathing much of the body.
They can put on bursts of speed up to 35 kilometers per hour, though they usually swim at a more leisurely pace.
Location
Leatherback sea turtles prefer the open ocean and only venture into coastal waters for breeding purposes. They are found in all of the world’s major oceans and are known to venture into Arctic waters where other sea turtles do not go.
Distribution
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. Although the sea turtles species have the largest distribution of any sea turtle, it is also one of the least studied species. Aslo in the Atlantic Ocean and pacific ocean.
Leatherback Sea Turtle Habitat
Leatherbacks occur in tropical and temperate waters around the world. They are distinctive for their large size and leathery carapace, and they feed largely on jellyfish. The evidence panel identifies the applicable global assessment and United States legal listing without conflating them.
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. 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.
The turtles can also be found nesting on beaches in Australia, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the east coast of Florida.
Leatherback Sea Turtle Diet and Nutrition
Leatherback Sea Turtles have a very interesting diet and nutrition. Leatherbacks are carnivores and their diet consists mainly of jellyfish. They will also eat other types of invertebrates, including tunicates, corals, anemones, crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins.
Leatherbacks also eat carrion and will consume algae, seagrass, fish eggs, flying fish, and squid too. They have very tough jaws that enable them to crush the hard shells of their prey such as crabs or mollusks.
Leatherback Sea Turtle Mating Habits
Leatherback Sea Turtles mate offshore during the night.
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. Adult turtles and Leatherback mating can last for hours, and after mating, the male will usually let go of the female and swim away.
The sea turtles species mating has been observed in the oceans off Baja, California. 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.
Leatherback sea turtles and hawksbills have distinct conservation assessments. Female leatherbacks come ashore at night to nest and bury clutches in beach sand.
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.
Leatherback Hatchling Migrations
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. Females often return to the same beach their mother used when they are old enough to begin laying eggs.
Sea turtle hatchlings are a migratory process, and it is a long journey. Pacific Leatherback sea turtles migrate from the coast of Costa Rica to the coastal waters of Mexico after nesting season.
Leatherbacks are also often seen in Europe and America from November until spring. Leatherbacks of all ages prefer currents that take them away from shore, which end up being their final destination.
The sea turtles species Leatherback hatchlings have a high rate of mortality. Leatherbacks have many predators, including birds, raccoons, and crabs that can be found on the beaches. In addition, Leatherback eggs are vulnerable to predation from ants as well as both native and feral pigs which often dig them up from their nests.
The Leatherback has been reported to have been preyed on by tiger sharks, particularly in the Atlantic. Leatherback young usually wash up on a beach after having been eaten by predators such as killer whales and animals from the land.
Leatherback Sea Behavior
Leatherback Sea Turtles have many adaptations that help them survive in the ocean, including their tough leathery shell and their ability to dive to depths of over 1,000 meters.
The sea turtles species are known to migrate long distances throughout the world’s oceans between foraging habitats and nesting sites. Leatherbacks may travel as much as 8,500 kilometers between nesting locations in Malaysia and Australia.
Leatherback Sea Turtle Role in Ecosystems
The sea turtles species represent an important apex predator in many marine ecosystems, not only for regulating prey populations but also as a source of nutrients for other animals higher up the food chain.
Loss of Leatherbacks would have significant impacts on marine ecosystems, and it is important to do what we can to protect these animals.
You can help by ensuring you don’t accidentally catch them in your fishing gear, and by supporting policies and regulations that seek to reduce the threats they face.
Leatherback Sea Turtle vs Other Sea Turtles
Leatherbacks are different from other sea turtles in a few ways:
- They are the largest of all sea turtles and can weigh up to two thousand pounds.
- They are also the only sea turtle species that feed on jellyfish.
- They are the only turtles that don’t have a hard shell. Instead, their shells are made up of a layer of tough, oily skin.
- Leatherbacks are able to dive much deeper than other sea turtles. Leatherbacks can reach depths of up to two thousand feet!
- Leatherback dive times can last up to thirty minutes, whereas other turtles only dive for five minutes.
- Leatherback adults are larger than any other species of sea turtle and can grow as large as seven feet long.
- Leatherbacks can weigh up to seven hundred pounds. Leatherback sea turtle species are also the only turtle species that feed on jellyfish, which can be found in both tropical and temperate waters throughout the world.
- Leatherbacks range in color from olive-green to black or dark gray.
- The sea turtles species are known for their unique oily flesh (they don’t have a hard shell), and their ability to dive deeper than other turtles.
- Leatherbacks can also be identified by their large size and dark skin color, as well as the presence of five lateral ridges on the carapace (top part of the shell).
Leatherback Sea Turtle and Human Relationship
Human activities, including bycatch, pollution, habitat disturbance, and climate-related change, can affect leatherback populations.
Leatherbacks rely heavily on jellyfish and occur across tropical and temperate waters. Reducing bycatch, protecting nesting habitat, and limiting pollution can support conservation across their range.
Conservation action is most useful when it addresses the pressures affecting a particular population, including fisheries interactions, nesting-habitat disturbance, pollution, and climate-related change.
Cultural Significance of Leatherback Sea Turtles
The Leatherback Sea Turtle is a significant cultural icon in Micronesia, American Samoa, and the Philippines.
Sea turtles are regarded as being sacred animals by those cultures. In those areas, Leatherbacks have been revered as signs from God and were thought to be the turtle that carried the Earth upon its back.
In those regions, Leatherbacks are regarded as being sacred animals by those cultures. The Leatherback is seen as a sign from God and is believed to be the turtle that carries the Earth upon its back.
Leatherback Sea Turtle Facts
Here are the interesting facts about Sea Turtle Facts
- Leatherback Sea Turtle is the largest of all sea turtles
- Leatherbacks can be found in tropical and temperate waters throughout the world
- Fisheries bycatch, pollution, habitat pressures, and climate-related changes affect leatherback populations differently across their range.
- Leatherbacks are important predators in the marine ecosystem, so their decline could have serious consequences for ocean health
- Leatherbacks migrate from tropical nesting beaches to feeding areas in subtropical waters.
- Leatherbacks will often not return to their birthplace to breed.
- Leatherback turtles also have leathery shells that give them their name, which is very different than other sea turtle species which have hard shells.
- Leatherback turtles can weigh between 400-600lbs, and they grow up to 6 feet long.
- Leatherback turtles are omnivores consequently
Conservation Status
Sea turtles are an important part of marine ecosystems. Leatherback assessments and trends need to retain their geographic and legal scope.
Leatherbacks prey on jellyfish, which are already in danger, so if Leatherbacks are no longer present then the populations of the jellyfish will increase. Leatherbacks migrate from tropical nesting beaches to feeding areas in subtropical waters, which means they would be needed to keep the species of fish balanced.
Leatherback sea turtle conservation is an ongoing issue because Leatherbacks have many predators that can be found on the beaches. In addition, Leatherback eggs are preyed upon by ants as well as indigenous and feral pigs, who dig them up from their nests.
Threats
Leatherback turtles are less subject to predation by humans than other species because their oily flesh is unpalatable, though a few are caught and eaten by those desperate enough for meat. Nests are raided for eggs and leatherback strandings in some parts of the world where protective measures are lax or absent where among the threats these species face.
Plastic bags washed into the ocean (or simply dumped in as part of the garbage disposal) are a much more immediate threat, since they look like jellyfish. Leatherbacks will eat these bags, possibly resulting in harmful or fatal intestinal blockages. The turtles are also too large to fit through the “turtle excluder” devices fitted to modern fishing nets and may die entangled.
Conservation efforts
Leatherback Sea Turtles have been observed resting on mangroves, vegetation, and stones at the sea’s edge.
In the past Leatherbacks were hunted for meat by humans and also their soft shells were used to make purses and other items. Turtles play a vital role in balancing the food chain as they are an important prey item for large fish that live closer to shores such as mackerel, swordfish, grouper, barracuda, and sharks.
Leather-backed turtles also rank high in a global index tracking extinction risk led by scientists from Stanford University.
Government initiatives and the efforts of organizations like the Leatherback Trust are directed towards protecting these vulnerable animals and other endangered species, including the establishment of protected nesting refuges and efforts to prevent indirect harm by controlling fishing net placement, sustainability campaigns, and the like.
Local conservation efforts are also occurring in some countries, such as Costa Rica, with donation-funded beach patrols helping to protect nests.
Organizations
Oceana
Oceana is the largest international organization focused only on ocean conservation, protecting marine ecosystems and endangered species such as the Leatherback Sea Turtle.
Oceana and other conservation organizations work on marine threats that can affect leatherbacks, including fisheries interactions, pollution, and habitat pressures. Status claims on this page are shown with their authority and scope in the evidence panel.
Sea Turtle Conservancy
Sea Turtle Conservancy works to protect the 7 different remaining sea turtle species found in the oceans and their habitats through research, education, training, and advocacy.
The Sea Turtle Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that is working to protect turtles, including the Leatherback Sea Turtle.
The conservancy works to protect sea turtles and their habitats through research, education, training, and advocacy.
Some of the things they do include working with governments and other organizations to create and enforce bans on fishing gear that harms turtles, educating people about the importance of sea turtles and how they can help protect them, and working to restore sea turtle habitats.
Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Conservation Society was formed in 1895 with the aim of protecting 25 percent of the world’s biodiversity by promoting the importance of protecting wildlife and their habitats through various campaigns like promoting eco-friendly products. WCS has five zoos in New York.
The Wildlife Conservation Society is a non-profit institution that has been able to reach out and provide assistance for animals like Leatherback Sea Turtles. It has also been working diligently to create awareness about the turtles.
Final Thoughts
Leatherback sea turtles are the largest living sea turtles and have a distinctive leathery carapace rather than a hard shell.
Leatherbacks occur in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters. Their conservation needs include reducing fisheries bycatch, protecting nesting habitat, and limiting pollution. The evidence panel separates the global assessment from the United States legal listing.
This makes it difficult for Leatherbacks to reproduce due to a lack of sea turtle nesting beaches that remain undisturbed by predators like ants or feral pigs which prey on Leatherback eggs.
FAQ
What is a leatherback sea turtle?
The leatherback is the largest living sea turtle and has a flexible, leathery carapace. It occurs in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters around the world.
What threatens leatherback turtles?
Important threats include fisheries bycatch, marine pollution, disturbance or loss of nesting habitat, vessel interactions, and climate-related change. Effects vary among populations.
How many leatherback turtles are left?
OEW does not present an unsupported single global total. The evidence panel identifies the global assessment and United States legal listing with their sources and dates.
Other Species Profiles
- Olive Ridlye Sea Turtle
- Bulmer’s Fruit Bat
- Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
- South Asian River Dolphin
- African Wild Dog
Related Resources
Coastal lighting matters for nesting turtles — learn how to make beachfront lights turtle safe.