Sea Turtles Flashcards
What are the seven species of sea turtle?
- Loggerhead
- Hawksbill
- Kemp’s Ridley (most endangered)
- Olive Ridley (most common)
- Australian flat back
- Leatherback
- Green: found in tropical oceans around globe, except eastern tropical pacific where he Black Sea turtle is the tropical species
Are sea turtle warm blooded or cold blooded?
Cold blooded (ectothermic)
What do sea turtles matter?
- link in ecosystem
- help maintain health of sea grass beds and coral
- major cultural significance and tourism value
How fast do sea turtles swim?
20-25 mph
How long can a sea turtle hold their breath?
2 hours
When is a sea turtle mature?
10-50 yrs
What do the lacrimal glands of sea turtles do?
Secrete salt through the eyes
Describe the anatomy of a sea turtle?
- internal/external skeleton
- external protective shell and internal skeleton with fused ribs
- powerful sense of smell
- no ears
- male/female difference: male has a longer tail than female
- can’t retract limbs or head
Describe sea turtle reproduction
- mating occurs at sea
- sea turtle nesting in Gulf of Mexico is May-October
- egg laying behavior-return to natal beach
How do sea turtles know what beach is their natal beach?
- detect both angle and intensity of the earths magnetically field
- hatchlings imprint on natal beach
- young females may follow older females
Clutch
Number of eggs in a nest
How many nests do sea turtles lay a season?
2-8
Caruncle
Egg tooth used to chip at shells, falls off
Egg incubation
2 months depending on species
Sex determined by
Temp of sand (boys cooler temp, girls hotter temp)
What do sea turtles eat?
- loggerhead: lobsters, crustacean, fish
- green: sea grass
- leatherbacks: jellyfish
- hawksbill: coral, anemones, sea sponges
What are the predators for sea turtle eggs?
Skunks, raccoons, pigs, lizards, crabs, ants, beetles, fungal and bacterial infections
What are the predators for hatchlings?
Birds, mammals, crabs, Sharks, large fish
What are the predators for adult sea turtles?
Sharks, humans
What is the commercial value of sea turtles?
- meat
- eggs
- soup
- jewelry
- leather
What is a TED?
Turtle excluder device
What are the threats to sea turtles?
- marine debris: fishing line takes 600 years to decompose
- boat hits: bubble butt syndrome
- coastal development: reduces access and availability of nest sites, artificial lighting
- oil contamination: can irritate turtle’s eyes, skin, mucous membrane; ingestion may cause damage to various vital organs
- fibropapilloma: characterized by the presence of benign tumors, occurring externally and internally; linked to water pollution
Why tag sea turtles?
Identify indirectly turtles, establish migration patterns,
What are the types of tags?
- flipper tags
- PIT tag
- satellite tags
- sonic and radio tags
- living tags
