About Loggerhead Sea Turtle:
- It is a species of oceanic turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae.
- Scientific Name: Caretta caretta
- It is the world’s largest hard-shelled turtle, slightly larger at average and maximum mature weights than the green sea turtle and the Galapagos tortoise.
- It is also the world’s second largest extant turtle after the leatherback sea turtle.
- Habitat and Distribution:
- Loggerheads live in oceans all over the world, except in the coldest seas.
- The majority of loggerhead nesting occurs in the western rims of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, primarily in Oman, the United States, and Australia.
- They may be found hundreds of miles out to sea, as well as in inshore areas such as bays, lagoons, salt marshes, and creeks.
- Features:
- Loggerheads are named for their relatively large heads, which support powerful jaws and enable them to feed on hard-shelled prey, such as whelks and conchs.
- They have a large, reddish-brown, hard shell; a pale yellow underbelly (or ‘plastron’); and four flippers with two (or sometimes three) claws on each.
- Adult males are distinguished by long tails that extend beyond the rear carapace and a narrowing of the carapace that tapers towards the rear.
- They use the geomagnetic field as a map when navigating large distances.
- Lifespan: Loggerheads can live up to 80 years or more.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
