SEA TURTLES OF THE GULF OF MEXICO “Dude!” SEA TURTLES OF THE GULF OF MEXICO

5 Species of the Gulf of Mexico Hawksbill Green Loggerhead Kemp’s Ridley Leatherback

Loggerhead Caretta caretta Named for its large head Feed upon bottom dwelling invertebrates; sometimes scavenge fish and fish parts mating season is from late March to early June, Average clutch size varies from 100 to 126 eggs As with all sea turtles, sex determination in hatchlings is also temperature dependent Named for its large head Powerful jaws crush mollusks, crabs and encrusting animals attached to reefs and rocks An estimated 14,000 females nest in the southeastern U.S, each year A large turtle: adults weigh 200 to 350 pounds and measure about 3 feet in length Hatchlings: 2 inches long

Kemp’s Ridley Lepidochelys kempii Named for Richard M. Kemp, a fisherman interested in natural history who submitted the type specimen from Florida The smallest of all living sea turtles, weight of an adult averages less than 45 kg Feeds mainly on crabs Nesting information: 40,000 females nesting in 1947, estimated 5,000 in 1968, and in years 1978-1991, nesting rarely reached 200 females Adult Kemp shells are as round as they are wide Hatchlings: 4-5 cm in length Nesting season from April through July, at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico; almost no nesting takes place at any other beach

Hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata rocky areas, coral reefs, shallow coastal areas, lagoons or oceanic islands, and narrow creeks and passes Has experienced global population declines of 80 percent or more during the past century and continued declines are projected Hawksbill turtles are unique among sea turtles in that they have two pairs of prefrontal scales on the top of the head and each of the flippers usually has two claws.

Leatherback Dermochelys coriacea The leatherback is the largest turtle and the largest living reptile in the world! 6 ½ feet in length & weigh up to 2000 lbs. Female leatherbacks lay clutches of approximately 100 eggs on sandy, tropical beaches Dermochelys coriacea Only sea turtle that lacks a hard, bony shell A leatherback's mouth and throat also have backward-pointing spines that help retain such gelatinous prey

Leatherback’s teeth (above) Leatherback’s mouth (right)

Green Chelonia mydas Green turtles are the largest of all the hard-shelled sea turtles, but have a comparatively small head Hatchlings weigh about 0.055 lbs (25 g) and are about 2 in (50 mm) long Adult green turtles are unique among sea turtles in that they are herbivorous, feeding primarily on sea- grasses and algae Green turtles primarily use three types of habitat: oceanic beaches (for nesting), convergence zones in the open ocean, and benthic feeding grounds in coastal areas

Threats!!! Green Turtle with fibropapillomatosis Nets Habitat destruction Nesting site destruction Artificial light Poaching Predators

SEA TURTLE VIDEO!