Loggerhead Turtle
The Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) also known as the Atlantic hawksbill turtle, is a sea turtle large species that is threatened and endangered. It is also called loggerhead turtle o caretta turtle.
Loggerhead Turtle Distribution
The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is the second turtle species most common sea turtle worldwide after the green turtle (Chelonia mydas). It mainly inhabits tropical and subtropical waters but can occasionally be found in colder waters, such as southern Norway, Canada, Russia, and the United States. Its distribution range extends from 70° north latitude to 35° south latitude, reaching the Río de la Plata in Argentina. This species appears to be absent from the Pacific Ocean and northern South America.
The Loggerhead Turtle in the Canary Islands
The loggerhead turtle is a species of sea turtle that can be found on the coasts of the Canary Islands, although its presence is limited. In recent decades, efforts have been made to protect and conserve loggerhead turtle populations in the area, including research programs, monitoring, and environmental education. The main threats to this species in the Canary Islands are bycatch, maritime traffic, and pollution. Organizations must continue working on the conservation of this species and the preservation of its habitat along the Canary Islands' coasts.
Loggerhead Turtle Characteristics
The carapace of this species is heart-shaped and has a very pronounced vertebral keel in juveniles that becomes rounded in adults, although it remains visible on the first two vertebrae. The carapace has five pairs of costal scutes, with the first ones in contact with the nuchal, while there are 12 to 13 marginal scutes on each side that can vary from 11 to 15. Unlike other chelonians, the edge of the marginal scutes is serrated in juveniles but flattens with age, and in older individuals, they are only slightly raised on the sides. Its color can range from dark brown to yellow-orange or chocolate, with the edges of the marginal scutes highlighted in yellow.
The plastron, on the other hand, is light yellow-brown or even orange, like the bridges composed of three large inframarginal scutes, without pores. In adults, the plastron is smooth, while juveniles have two longitudinal keels. The head of this species is very large, which led to its English name. It is rounded in shape with a pronounced horny beak, but not serrated, and has four or five prefrontal scutes of the loggerhead turtlescutes, as well as a large frontoparietal scale on top of the head and three large postocular scales on the sides. The nostrils are slightly prominent. The head is brown on top and lighter underneath, turning yellowish-brown and even yellow, as do the neck and limbs.
The limbs of this species are particularly well adapted for swimming and have two claws. The front limbs are covered with large scales surrounding a group of smaller scales in the center of the flipper. In males, the tail appendage is noticeably larger and longer than in females.
This species has a distinctive heart-shaped shell with a prominent vertebral keel in juveniles, a large head with a pronounced horny beak, and legs well adapted for swimming.
Loggerhead Turtle Habits
The species is mainly found along the coasts and is not very pelagic (species that live in midwaters or near the surface), but it also has great migratory potential and moves to beaches to nest. It can maintain an internal temperature higher than the water thanks to a slight muscle activity and natural insulation, allowing it to live in cold waters. During winter, it can enter a state of lethargy and remain motionless at the bottom of the water for a while.
The turtle swims slowly and gracefully, although it can also accelerate surprisingly fast, as divers well know. Its temperament can be difficult and it may bite if disturbed. There is video evidence of how it has defended itself from a tiger shark by biting its gills, causing the shark to release its prey. Its jaws are powerful and can easily crush the shell of a crab, lobster, or large mollusk.
How long does the loggerhead turtle live?
The loggerhead turtle lives between over 65 years in the wild. In captivity, it can exceed 100 years years of age.
How big is the turtle?
It is a large turtle, capable of reaching 120 cm on average and in exceptional cases up to 200 cm. It weighs around 130 kg, although there are reports of much heavier specimens.
What does the loggerhead turtle eat?
It is mainly carnivorous and feeds on crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms, fish, but also aquatic plants and algae.
Loggerhead Turtle Reproduction
Copulation occurs on the sea surface, and the male clings to the female's shell with the claws of his front legs. Sexual maturity seems to be very early, at four years old and about 60 cm in length for the first reproductions. Egg-laying happens mostly at dusk or during the night, when the tide is high, on the fine sand of beaches in temperate and subtropical regions. The eggs develop in spring and early summer.
They have between three to seven clutches per season, each about fifteen days apart. Some females only lay eggs every two or three years. During laying, the turtles deposit around about a hundred eggs round eggs with a diameter of 35 to 49 mm, with a maximum of 150 eggs. Females usually show fear during nest digging and may interrupt laying and return to the sea if disturbed.
The egg laying is one of the fastest among sea turtles and usually lasts 10 to 20 minutes. The entire process, from laying to returning to the sea, often takes less than 60 minutes. The incubation of the eggs lasts from 46 to 71 days, depending on the temperature. Temperature also influences the sex of the loggerhead turtle hatchling. If the eggs are kept at a temperature above 32º C during the first weeks of incubation, only females will hatch, while if the temperature is below 28º C, only males will hatch.
The sea turtle hatchlings They have a brown to grayish shell, very keeled, when they hatch. They measure around 55 mm and escape from numerous predators such as crabs, birds, mammals, fish, and sharks. They swim frantically for several days until they reach an area invaded by floating algae, like sargassum, where they can camouflage. Then, they begin to grow rapidly by feeding on zooplankton.
Loggerhead Turtle Conservation Status
The loggerhead turtle nests in urbanized and tourist areas that are often degraded or destroyed. The species has been exploited for its meat and shell and continues to be hunted and fished. Loggerhead turtles fall victim to drift nets and shrimp nets, and measures like exclusion devices are needed to allow prey to escape. Although there are conservation programs, few countries enforce the exclusion system. Satellite transmitters are used to study the migratory routes of loggerhead turtles. The species is protected by the Bonn Convention and CITES and is listed in Appendix I.
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