Leatherback Turtle

The Leatherback Turtle is classified as Critically Endangered (CR), facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest of all living sea turtles and the fourth largest modern reptile behind three crocodilians. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys. More

leatherback turtle at water's surface Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) Photo: Scott R. More

* Many leatherback turtles die from ingesting plastic debris mistaken for jellyfish - About Marine Turtles Table of Contents Last modified 04/01/24 Send comments or corrections to webmaster@turtles. More

leatherback turtles in order to protect, identify and count them. The individual turtles who come onto the beach to nest are identified with small electronic PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tags which are injected into the muscle of the shoulder. More

Pacific leatherback turtles are under serious threat of extinction, as their numbers diminish due to egg poaching and drownings in fishing nets. More

The first leatherback turtle bones found date back to the Cretacious Period – that's over 100 million years ago! If you are fortunate enough to see a leatherback, you will witness a creature whose ancestors survived the age of dinosaurs. More

Leatherback turtle returns to the sea after laying eggs on the beach. More

The leatherback turtle is the largest of all living reptile species. Named after their thick, flexible, "leathery" shell, mature leatherbacks often measure over 1.5 metres in length and may weigh as much as a ton (900 kg). More

Reason for Decline: Leatherback turtle populations have historically declined due to overharvesting for food, fish bait and turtle products. They are also limited by deaths from oil spills, entanglements in lobster pots, beach traffic, predation and nest flooding. More

The endangered leatherback turtle is the largest and most active of the sea turtles. More

earth, the leatherback turtle ranges in size from 4-8 feet in length (1.2 - 2.4 meters) and weighs between 500-2000 pounds (225 - 900 kg). The average adult measures in between 5-6 feet (1.5 - 1.8 m) and weighs 600-800 pounds (270 - 360 kg). More

On average, the Leatherback turtles in the Caribbean grow larger than those found in other locations. More

The leatherback turtle was listed as endangered throughout its range on June 2, 1970. Nesting populations of leatherback sea turtles are especially difficult to discern because the females frequently change beaches. However, current estimates are that 20,000-30,000 female leatherbacks exist worldwide. More

RANGE AND POPULATION LEVEL: The leatherback turtle is distributed worldwide in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. More

Leatherback Turtle by the University of New Hampshire Latest Reports - Selected date 1. Green Turtles of MadagascarWed, 17 Dec 2008 2. More

The leatherback turtle is undergoing a severe global decline (> 70 % in 15 years). In Canadian waters, incidental capture in fishing gear is a major cause of mortality. More

The leatherback turtle has survived for more than a hundred million years, but is now facing extinction. More

Leatherback Turtle | Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) References Dermochelys coriacea, Leatherback Sea Turtle - MarineBio.org. Retrieved Tuesday, January 1, 2008, from http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=287. More

Instead of teeth the Leatherback turtle has points on the tomium of its upper lip. It also has backwards spines in its throat to help it swallow food. Leatherback turtles can dive to depths as great as 4,200 feet (1,280 metres). More

Text: Adapted by Paddy Muir from “The Leatherback Turtle” in the Underwater World: Aquatic species at risk series, published by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, 2002. Photos: Nova Scotia Leatherback Turtle Working Group (NSLTWG): L. Hatcher, D. Ivany, M. More

The leatherback turtle, which has survived for more than a hundred million years, is now facing extinction, especially in the Pacific. According to recent estimates, their numbers have sharply declined over the last 20 years. More

* What is the food web for leatherback turtles of leatherback turtles? * Do leatherback turtles eat fish? » More Mentioned in * Dermochelidae (vertebrate zoology) * More

Common names

Baot lêrek in Breton - brezhoneg
Baula in Spanish - español
Canal in Spanish - español
Cardon in Spanish - español
Deri sırtlı deniz kaplumbağası in Turkish - Türkçe
Dermochelyidae in Galician - Galego
Dermochelyidae in Romanian - română
Dermochelys coriacea in Italian - Italiano
Havlærskilpadde in Norwegian - Norsk
Havslädersköldpadda in Swedish - Svenska
Kérgesteknős in Hungarian - Magyar
Kietaodis vėžlys in Lithuanian - lietuvių kalba
Kožnatkovité in Slovak - slovenčina
leatherback in English - English
leatherback sea turtle in English - English
Leatherback Turtle in English - English
leatherback; tinglar in English - English
Leathery turtle in English - English
Leathery turtle in Ukrainian - українська мова
Leddorsa martestudo in Esperanto - Esperanto
Lederschildkröte in German - Deutsch
lederschildpad in Dutch - Nederlands
Leðurskjaldbaka in Icelandic - Íslenska
Luth in English - English
Merinahkakilpikonna in Finnish - suomen kieli
Penyu belimbing in Malay - bahasa Melayu
Rùa da in Vietnamese - Tiếng Việt
Sedmopruga usminjača in Croatian - Hrvatski
Tartaruga-de-couro in Portuguese - Português
Tinglada in Spanish - español
tinglar in English - English
tinglar in Spanish - español
tortue luth in French - français
Tortuga laud in Spanish - español
Tortuga llaüt in Catalan - Català
Tortuga-marina laúd in Spanish - español
Trunkback turtle in English - English
Żółw skórzasty in Polish - polski
Кожистая черепаха in Russian - русский язык
Черепаха кожистая in Russian - русский язык
Шкіряста черепаха in Ukrainian - українська мова
צב ים גילדי in Hebrew - ‫עברית
เต่ามะเฟือง in Thai - ไทย
オサガメ in Japanese - 日本語
장수거북 in Korean - 한국어