3/10/14 Students will be able to discuss and describe eight species of sea turtle. Students will be able to explain threats to the sea turtle population. Turtle: Any of various aquatic or terrestrial reptiles having horny toothless jaws and a bony or leathery shell into which the head, limbs, and tail can be withdrawn in most species. Page 429 Sea Turtles: There are eight species of sea turtles: 1. Green: Herbivorous, may weigh 300 lbs. 2. Hawksbill: Tropical, found on reefs, eats sea sponges. 3. Loggerhead: 150 400 lbs, lives at ship wrecks and reefs, eats mollusks, crabs and sponges. 4. Leatherback: Largest marine reptile, can weigh 2000 lbs. Travels 3100 miles from nesting to feeding grounds. Can dive 3300 ft. 5. Kemps Ridley: Small, lives in South Atlantic, the most endangered sea turtle. Page 429 Sea Turtles: 6.Black Turtle: Lives in East Pacific. 7.Australian Flatback 8.Olive Ridley: The most abundant sea turtle. GreenHawksbill LoggerheadLeatherback Kemps Ridley Black Pacific Australian FlatbackOlive Ridley Page 429 Sea Turtles: All sea turtles are endangered or threatened. All live in the ocean, but nest on land. Migratory: Sea turtles make long sea journeys of many thousand kms. Sea turtles find their way around using internal compasses that are sensitive to Earths magnetic field. Page 429 Sea Turtles: Female sea turtles lay 100+ eggs in a scooped out depression in sand, cover the eggs and return to sea. Sea turtles are easy prey for carnivores. After eggs hatch, babies have to make their way across the beach to the ocean. In the ocean sea turtles have to get past hungry fish. Page 429 Sea Turtles: All sea turtles are endangered. Major threats are loss of habitat and hunting. Turtles are hunted for their meat, shells and oils. Example: Leatherbacks: In ,000 females came ashore to lay eggs. In 5000 were counted ashore. Page 430 Sea Turtles: The US has banned the import and export of sea turtle products. In 1987 the US required shrimp fishers to use Turtle Exclusion Devices (TEDs.). TED v. no TED