![]() They forage and nest in a wide range of places, including Brazil, Japan, South Africa, and Australia.Ī baker’s dozen. World travelers! Loggerheads are found not only in the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic but worldwide. The large head of this turtle in proportion to its body likely inspired its common name. What a big head you have! The original, 16th century term “logger-head” literally meant “block-head.” A logger was a big block of wood that was fastened to a horse’s leg so it couldn’t run away. Fish and Wildlife Service 2008)Ĭurrent threats: Loss or degradation of nesting habitat from development and shoreline armoring loss of hatchlings affected by beachfront lighting nest predation by native and non-native predators degradation of marine foraging habitat marine pollution and debris watercraft strikes disease and incidental take from channel dredging and commercial trawling, longline, and gill net fisheries (National Marine Fisheries Service 2020, U.S. Reasons for decline: Historic and ongoing incidental capture in fishing gear historic and ongoing harvest of eggs, juveniles, and adults other ongoing human impacts and environmental degradation of nesting and marine habitats (National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. females nest every 1-7 years and lay 3-5 clutches in one nesting season each nest contains an average of 100-126 eggs that take about 2 months to hatch (National Marine Fisheries Service 2020, U.S. Nesting season: April through September in the U.S. Lifespan: Unknown reaches sexual maturity at 32-35 years and could live more than 80 years (National Marine Fisheries Service 2020, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2008).ĭiet: Crabs, conches and other mollusks, sea jellies, fish, and other marine animals (National Marine Fisheries Service 2020, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2020, National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Non-nesting Range: Worldwide in temperate and tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans, including in the Gulf of Mexico juveniles primarily use nearshore coastal waters (U.S. nesting occurs in Florida, which includes one of the two largest loggerhead rookeries (nesting areas) in the world (U.S. Nesting Range: The majority of nesting occurs on beaches in the western Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the western Atlantic nesting occurs from Virginia to Florida in the Gulf of Mexico it occurs from Florida to Texas 80-90% of all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2020)Īdult weight: 250 pounds (113 kg) (National Marine Fisheries Service 2020)Ĭoloration: Hatchlings are dark gray with reddish brown streaking above and yellow or tan below adults are reddish brown above and pale yellow below. Size: Adult carapace (upper shell) length is 36 inches (92 cm) (National Marine Fisheries Service 2020, U.S. The population in the Gulf of Mexico is federally threatened (National Marine Fisheries Service 2020, U.S. ![]() ![]() Status: Of 9 currently recognized distinct population segments, 4 are federally listed as threatened and 5 are federally listed as endangered. ![]() Loggerhead sea turtle nesting at Padre Island National Seashore. ![]()
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