Found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, the loggerhead sea turtle spends its entire life in saltwater and estuarine habitats. Only the females come back to shore to lay eggs. Males never return to land again. These turtles prefer temperate, subtropical, and tropical waters. Due to habitat destruction, pollution, bycatch (getting caught in fishing nets), and climate change these awesome turtles are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Sadly too, their numbers are decreasing.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Caretta caretta
Weight: Up to 350+ lbs.
Length: Up to 4 feet
Lifespan: Up to 80 years
Now on to the Facts!
1.) Loggerheads prey on whelks, lobsters, mollusks, horseshoe crabs, jellyfish, and queen conch.
2.) Tiger sharks prey on adult turtles, while fish, ghost crabs, seabirds, dogs, raccoons, red foxes, and more prey on the eggs and hatchlings.
3.) They have muscular heads and strong jaws that are used to crush their prey.
4.) The loggerhead is diurnal (active during the day).
5.) Female loggerheads tend to be defensive towards one another.
But wait, there’s more on the loggerhead sea turtle!
6.) Loggerhead sea turtle females will return to the same beach where they began life, every season. How they find their way back is a mystery.
7.) Loggerheads don’t reach sexual maturity till they reach about 35 years old.
Did you know…?
Loggerhead turtles sleep on the ocean floor. They will lay motionless for up to 4 hours at a time, at night, and only move when they need to surface in order to breathe.
8.) Females will visit their preferred beach several times each breeding season.
9.) The female will lay up to 120 eggs in a nest dug in the sand.
10.) Hatchlings take several weeks to hatch and dig their way up through the sand, in order to reach the ocean.
Now a Short Loggerhead Sea Turtle Video!
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