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

2. 5 Species of the Gulf of Mexico
Hawksbill
Green
Loggerhead
Kemp’s Ridley
Leatherback

3. 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

4. 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 , 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

5. 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.

6. 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

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

8. 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

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

10. SEA TURTLE VIDEO!