1. Leatherback Sea Turtle Dermochelys coriacea Jordan Taylor 2-10-14 “A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then mount the stump and make a speech for conservation.” Adlai E. Stevens

2. Bio: Life History Physical Characteristics Reproduction Diet Habitat Territory & Range Behavior Predators Parasites Diseases Endangered, Why? Status Conservation Management Chain Reaction

3.  Hatchlings:  Adult female nests  She returns to the sea  Developing hatchlings do not have sex chromosomes  Gender is determined temperature  Mix of Males/Females-  “Pivotal” temperature-  83-85 degrees Fahrenheit  Females-  Hotter temp  Males-  Colder temp  After 45 to 70 days-  Break out of eggs  Caruncle: Temporary tooth located on their snout  Remain in the nest  Absorb yolk, attached by umbilical to their abdomen  Provides energy for first few days, to the nest to offshore waters  Remain until the temperature of the sand cools  Less likely to be eaten by predators or overheat at night  Clues to find the water including:  Slope of the beach  White crests of the waves  Light of the ocean horizon Life History:

4.  Juveniles:  Size of dinner plates  Return to coastal until they reach sexual maturity (adulthood)  Feed over enormous areas-  Shallow waters  Sexual maturity-  15 years  Leave coastal areas/migrate  Thousands of miles  To breeding areas to mate Life History: Cont.

5.  Adults:  Females-  Nesting-  Come ashore to lay eggs  Wait for darkness before leaving water  Digs nest with rear flippers  100 or more ping-pong ball sized eggs  May take a few hours or more  Cover and disguise nest before returning to water  Never sees hatchlings once born  Six weeks to two months later  Nesting season ends-  Return to hunting grounds  Not nesting again 2 to 3 years  Continue to mature  30 year in captivity  50-70 year old in wild  May live a century Life Cycle: Cont.

6.  Largest sea turtles  4 to 8 feet in length  500 to 2000 pounds  Shell-  small bones covered by rubbery skin with seven longitudinal ridges or keels  Skin-  Black with pale spotting  Pink spot on the dorsal surface of the head in adults  Paddle-like clawless limbs: black with white margins/pale spotting.  Jaw-  Tooth-like point located on each side of the gray upper jaw  lower jaw is hooked Physical Characteristics:

8.  Nesting-  March to July  5 to 7 times  11 nests  9 to 10 days of  Constructs at night in clutches with an average of 80 to 85 eggs  Eggs 2 inches in diameter  Incubation takes 55 to 75 days  Hatchlings:  Hatch at night  Return to their nesting beaches every 2 to 3-years  Sexual maturity about 16 years  Coloration-  Black with white flipper margins and keels  Significant Nesting Areas-  Caribbean-  Puerto Rico  U.S. Virgin Islands  Southeast Florida  Largest Nesting Areas-  Northern South America  West Africa Reproduction:

9.  Jellyfish  Sea urchins  Squid  Crustaceans  Tunicates  Fish  Blue-green algae  Floating seaweed Diet: Tunicates Sea urchins Crustaceans

10. Habitat: Beaches: – Deep water – Rough seas – Vegetation – Sloped- Safe distance from dry sand and water

11.  Distributed worldwide in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans  Small numbers far north:  British Columbia  Newfoundland  the British Isles  Small numbers far south:  Australia  Cape of Good Hope  Argentina  Recent estimates for the North Atlantic:  Range of 34,000 to 94,000 adult Territory & Range:

12.  Independent  Migrate:  Great distances between nesting and feeding grounds  Located:  High concentrations of jellyfish  Feed near the surface  Highest concentrations of prey Behavior:

13.  Predators:  Humans- #1 predator  Eggs:  Lizards  Birds-  Knots  Plovers  Raptors  Mammals-  Raccoons  Dogs  Hatchlings:  Cephalopods  Sharks  Large fish  Adult leatherbacks:  Jaguars  Killer whales  Large sharks Predators: Piping PloverRed Knot Cephalopods

14.  Conchoderma virgatum:  Species of barnacle  Not Harmful Parasites:

15.  Fibropapilloma-  Water pollution  Tumors Found on Body:  Lungs  Kidneys  Liver  Causes:  Oil spills  Runoff-  Chemicals  Fertilizers  Toxic waste  Destroys food sources:  Aquatic plants  Animals Diseases:

16.  Once the world’s largest population  Exploitation by humans:  Eggs  meat  Commercial fisheries/Over harvesting  Long-line fishing- Long fishing line with multiply hooks  Other factors:  Loss of nesting habitat from coastal development  Confusing hatchlings by beachfront lighting  Native predators/non-native predators  Marine pollution/debris  Watercraft strikes Endangered, Why?:

17. Long-Line Fishing

18. Difference in Hooks Long-Line HooksCircle Hooks

19.  Delaware:  Seen in the Chesapeake Bay  Less frequently the Delaware Bay  Habitat loss/ change  Continues loss of open space to development  Federal:  Registered June 2 nd,1970  Endangered through out range  Listed endangered both state & federal governments Status:

20.  Increase hatchling populations:  Southeastern U.S. and U.S. Caribbean-  Nest protection efforts/beach habitat protection  Reduce leatherback deaths from long-line fishery  Coastal counties/communities have developed lighting regulations  U.S. nesting beaches continue for long-term protection  Pacific coasts of-  Mexico  Costa Rica  Other Central American countries  Eliminating Long-Line Fishing:  WWF-  Working with fisheries to switch to more turtle-friendly fishing hooks ("circle" hooks)  Satellite devices:  Tracks turtle movements Conservation Management:

21.  Leatherback sea turtles are predators:  Affect prey population densities is unknown  Might have been important before their populations were reduced by harvesting  Leatherback eggs and hatchlings:  Food source for egg predator populations Chain Reaction:

22. All In All… Populations decreasing Support conservation groups Stop pollution Encourage local fisherman to be apart of conservation Effect our eco-systems Encourage others Spread the word Be involved in local conservation projects

23.  http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/seaturtles/turtle%20factsheets/leatherback -sea-turtle.htm http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/seaturtles/turtle%20factsheets/leatherback -sea-turtle.htm  http://worldwildlife.org/species/leatherback-turtle http://worldwildlife.org/species/leatherback-turtle  http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/leatherback.htm http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/leatherback.htm  http://conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=leatherback http://conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=leatherback  http://www.seeturtles.org/915/leatherback-turtle.html http://www.seeturtles.org/915/leatherback-turtle.html  http://www.turtles.org/leatherd.htm http://www.turtles.org/leatherd.htm  http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Dermochelys_coriacea/#b ehavior http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Dermochelys_coriacea/#b ehavior  http://people.wcsu.edu/pinout/herpetology/dcoriacea/conservation.html http://people.wcsu.edu/pinout/herpetology/dcoriacea/conservation.html  http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20060512/LIFE/605120326/Delaware- home-15-species-turtles Resources: