1. Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
By: Elizabeth Pepper

2. Common & Latin Names
Common Names- Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle or Atlantic Ridley Sea Turtle
Latin Name- Lepidochelys kempii

3. Life History
Live in floating sargassum seaweed beds for their first years.
Change color as they mature (colors on next slide)

4. Physical Characteristics
Size cm. (24-35 in.)
Weight- 45 kg (99 lbs)
Color-
Hatchlings- Dark Gray-Black
Mature adults- Yellow-Green or White plastron and a Grey-Green carapace

5. Reproduction
Age
Gestation- The eggs are buried on shore for days
Litter size- 110 per clutch*
Interesting Facts-
Nest 2-3 times in a season, keeping days between nestings
Sex of hatchling is determined by temperature of in the area during incubation*
Clutch- Al the eggs that are produced by birds, amphibians, or reptiles
Incubation- The process of hatching eggs, cells, bacteria, & diseases

6. Diet
Mollusks
Crustaceans
Jellyfish
Fish
Algae or Seaweed
Sea Urchins

7. Habitat
Warm shallow water that has muddy or sandy bottoms

8. Distribution

9. Ecology & Behavior Ecology Behavior Nests in large groups
Nest on an average of every 1.5 years
Behavior
Strongly adapted to swimming
Spends most of life in isolation
Contact occurs only during mating & nesting

10. Predators, Parasites, & Diseases
Tiger Sharks
Herons
Seabirds
Killer Whales
Humans
Raccoons

11. Predators, Parasites, & Diseases
Papilloma virus
Mycobacterium chelonae
Collectotrichum acutatum
Cephalosporium sp.
Fusarium solani
Scolecobasidium constrictum
Paecilomyces sp.
Penicillium sp.
Ozobranchus margoi

12. Predators, Parasites, & Diseases
Fibropapillomatosis
Osteoarthritis
Pneumonia
Dermatomycosis

13. Cause of Listing Human Activities Incidental take by shrimp trawlers
Collection of eggs
Killing adults & juveniles for meat
Incidental take by shrimp trawlers

14. Status & Management Delaware Federal Management Endangered
Critically Endangered
Management
Nesting under full protection in Mexico

15. Impacts if Eliminated Seagrass beds will become unhealthy
Coral Reefs will become unhealthy
Key habitat for other marine life will be gone
Marine food webs & facilitating nutrient cycle from water to land will be gone

16. Sources http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/kempsridley.htm