Loggerhead sea turtle

Loggerhead sea turtle
Temporal range: 40–0 Ma Eocene - Recent[1]
A loggerhead sea turtle in an aquarium tank swims overhead. The underside is visible.
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[3]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Chelonioidea
Family: Cheloniidae
Subfamily: Carettinae
Genus: Caretta
Rafinesque, 1814
Species:
C. caretta
Binomial name
Caretta caretta
Loggerhead sea turtle range according to the Food and Agriculture Organization
Species synonymy
  • Testudo caretta
    Linnaeus, 1758
  • Testudo cephalo
    Schneider, 1783
  • Testudo nasicornis
    Lacépède, 1788
  • Testudo caouana
    Lacépède, 1788
  • Chelone caretta
    Brongniart, 1805
  • Chelonia caouanna
    Schweigger, 1812
  • Caretta nasuta
    Rafinesque, 1814
  • Chelonia cavanna
    Oken, 1816
  • Caretta atra
    Merrem, 1820
  • Caretta cephalo
    — Merrem, 1820
  • Caretta nasicornis
    — Merrem, 1820
  • Chelonia caretta
    Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1828
  • Testudo corianna
    Gray, 1831
  • Chelonia pelasgorum
    Valenciennes in Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1833
  • Chelonia cephalo
    — Gray, 1829
  • Chelonia (Caretta) cephalo
    Lesson in Bélanger, 1834
  • Chelonia caouanna
    A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1835
  • Chelonia (Thalassochelys) caouana
    Fitzinger, 1836
  • Chelonia (Thalassochelys) atra
    — Fitzinger, 1836
  • Thalassochelys caretta
    Bonaparte, 1838
  • Chelonia (Caouanna) cephalo
    Cocteau in Cocteau & Bibron in de la Sagra, 1838
  • Halichelys atra
    — Fitzinger, 1843
  • Caounana caretta
    — Gray, 1844
  • Caouana elongata
    Gray, 1844
  • Thalassochelys caouana
    Agassiz, 1857
  • Thalassochelys corticata
    Girard, 1858
  • Chelonia corticata
    Strauch, 1862
  • Thalassochelys elongata
    Strauch, 1862
  • Thalassochelys caouana
    Nardo, 1864
  • Eremonia elongata
    — Gray, 1873
  • Caretta caretta
    Stejneger, 1873
  • Thalassochelys cephalo
    Barbour & Cole, 1906
  • Caretta caretta caretta
    Mertens & L. Müller, 1928
  • Caretta gigas
    Deraniyagala, 1933
  • Caretta caretta gigas
    — Deraniyagala, 1939
  • Caretta caretta tarapacana
    Caldwell, 1962
  • Chelonia cahuano
    — Tamayo, 1962
  • Caretta careta [sic]
    Tamayo, 1962 (ex errore)[4]
Genus synonymy

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around 90 cm (35 in) in carapace length when fully grown. The adult loggerhead sea turtle weighs approximately 135 kg (298 lb), with the largest specimens weighing in at more than 450 kg (1,000 lb). The skin ranges from yellow to brown in color, and the shell is typically reddish brown. No external differences in sex are seen until the turtle becomes an adult, the most obvious difference being the adult males have thicker tails and shorter plastrons (lower shells) than the females.

The loggerhead sea turtle is found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. It spends most of its life in saltwater and estuarine habitats, with females briefly coming ashore to lay eggs. The loggerhead sea turtle has a low reproductive rate; females lay an average of four egg clutches and then become quiescent, producing no eggs for two to three years. The loggerhead reaches sexual maturity within 17–33 years and has a lifespan of 47–67 years.

The loggerhead sea turtle is omnivorous, feeding mainly on bottom-dwelling invertebrates. Its large and powerful jaws serve as an effective tool for dismantling its prey. Young loggerheads are exploited by numerous predators; the eggs are especially vulnerable to terrestrial organisms. Once the turtles reach adulthood, their formidable size limits predation to large marine animals, such as large sharks.

The loggerhead sea turtle is considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In total, nine distinct population segments are under the protection of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, with four population segments classified as "threatened" and five classified as "endangered".[6] Commercial international trade of loggerheads or derived products is prohibited by CITES Appendix I. Untended fishing gear is responsible for many loggerhead deaths. The greatest threat is loss of nesting habitat due to coastal development, predation of nests, and human disturbances (such as coastal lighting and housing developments) that cause disorientations during the emergence of hatchlings.[7] Turtles may also suffocate if they are trapped in fishing trawls. Turtle excluder devices have been implemented in efforts to reduce mortality by providing an escape route for the turtles. Loss of suitable nesting beaches and the introduction of exotic predators have also taken a toll on loggerhead populations. Efforts to restore their numbers will require international cooperation, since the turtles roam vast areas of ocean and critical nesting beaches are scattered across several countries.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference spotila59 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Casale, P.; Tucker, A.D. (2017). "Caretta caretta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T3897A119333622. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T3897A119333622.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference dodd1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference dodd2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta)". NOAA Fisheries. NOAA. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Information About Sea Turtles: Loggerhead Sea Turtle – Sea Turtle Conservancy". Retrieved 2019-05-29.