Star-shaped, light and dark streaks may be. The carapace (top shell) is heart shaped while the plastron (lower shell) is smaller and hingeless. This makes them the largest hard-shelled sea turtle alive today. One simple way to get started is by helping to reduce the risk of marine debris, which sea turtles and other marine life are exposed to. The loggerhead turtle is a large sea turtle that can grow to be between 31 and 45 inches in length and weigh between 170 and 350 pounds. Want to help protect this incredible species? Learn ways to make a difference. Over-harvesting, hunting, poaching eggs, habitat destruction and pollution are some of the many human actions affecting turtle populations worldwide. The greatest enemy of sea turtles is human activity. On land, adult female turtles that nest in the Caribbean and Central America may be attacked by a jaguar or wild boar, but this is rare. Killer Whales are also know to sometimes prey on Leatherback sea turtles. Sharks often will only take a bite of a flipper or part of the shell. Large sharks, such as the Tiger Shark are an example. Sea Turtle Adulthoodįor the few who make it to adulthood, adult sea turtles have few natural predators. It is estimated that only 1 in 100,000 hatchlings survive until reproductive adulthood. Birds also soar overhead, waiting to swoop down for an afternoon snack. Once in the water, hatchlings need to swim with speed and caution to avoid predators, such as large fish. They will also dig up nests to devour freshly laid eggs. Ghost crabs lurk in the darkness, waiting to claw young turtles as they crawl down from the nest, across the beach to the sea. Raccoons wait nearby in the dunes, eating hatchlings. Common sea turtle predators include fire ants, crabs, lizards, birds, dogs, raccoons, wild pigs, coyotes, dolphins, sharks and many species of carnivorous fish such as snapper, grouper and barracuda.įire ants will feast on eggs and weak hatchlings. These threats exist both on land and at sea. Hatchlings and young juvenile sea turtles have many natural threats. Conservation, Marine Science, Turtle Talk Sea Turtle Predators Natural Threats + Human Impact
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