The Largest Hard-Shelled Sea Turtle In The World

Loggerheads are the largest hard-shelled sea turtle in the world. Leatherbacks are bigger, but are part of the soft-shell family of sea turtles. Loggerheads have a broad muscular head, powerful jaws, and have a distinct reddish-brown shell, which is called a carapace. The carapace is elongated and heart shaped when seen from above. The adult shell is rather smooth, and the sides become slightly serrated as they narrow toward the tail. The paddle-like limbs are each equipped with a pair of claws. The loggerhead is usually various shades of brown; from its reddish-brown to dark brown carapace as well as upper surfaces of the head and limbs, which are chestnut to dark brown also. The underbelly and the edges of its limbs, are light yellow to tan, and the scales on the head have a creamy yellow edge and a darker center. Telling the difference between a male and a female loggerhead is quite easy, males have a tail that extends well beyond the shell, where as the female’s is much shorter.

Adult loggerheads average three feet in length, and weigh approximately 250 pounds. For perspective- the largest recorded loggerhead had a 7 ½ ft. shell and weighed in at an astounding 1,190 lbs. Unfortunately, many loggerheads, and sea turtles in general are poached or caught in fishing nets never able to realize their full size. Today’s loggerhead is much smaller than the loggerhead of old.
Loggerheads have an enormous range and are found in most tropical and subtropical seas. They do not occur in the more frigid waters of the world. In Costa Rica, loggerheads are found on the Caribbean side, never making it to the Pacific coast of the country. In Costa Rica, the female loggerhead nests on the Caribbean coast preferring the southern part of the coast, but are periodically seen as far north as Tortuguero National Park. They frequent coral reefs and shipwrecks, seeming to prefer coastal habitats and inland water bodies, but they will also travel hundreds of miles out to sea.
Males and females mate in the water in close proximity to their nesting sites. The male uses its massive claws to attach itself to the female. It’s not unusual for mating to last three hours.
Adult female loggerheads will often return, sometimes covering thousands of miles, to the beach where they hatched, to lay their eggs. Normally taking place at high tide and during the night, the female will lay her large clutch of eggs, typically between 65 to 200 eggs, in a deep hole in the sand which she will cover after she has laid all her eggs. A female can nest several times during the breeding season, with 12-15 day intervals. Hatchlings appear about 7 to 10 weeks after the eggs are laid. Since eggs are abandoned after being laid, the young hatchlings are on their own. When they emerge from the nest they immediately head to the sea. This trek is survival of the fittest, and most will never reach 1 year old.
Loggerheads are carnivores. They feed on shrimp, crab, jellyfish, mollusks and squid but have also been known to occasionally munch on seaweed and sargassum.
Luckily for the loggerhead, their meat is not as highly valued as that of other marine turtles, but unfortunately, their eggs are. Poaching is a problem. In Costa Rica, the on-going development of nesting beaches for tourism as well as shrimp nets, in which they drown, take a serious toll on these magnificent creatures.
It’s interesting to note that a loggerhead sea turtel can travel up to speeds of 15 mph.
Pollution, shrimping, and development of nesting beaches are a major reason the loggerhead has been on the endangered species list since 1978.

Experience A Nautical Adventure As You View A Beautiful Abundance Of Corals

Explorer the underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef in air-conditioned comfort on our Semi-Submarine… without even getting wet! Seated below water level, passengers are treated to a divers view of the coral reef and marine life with informative commentary by the crew and see the lively fish feeding. This vessel seats 27 passengers and cruises for 30 minutes. Don’t miss this exciting tour during your time at Green Island.

However, these so-called single corals are not the reef-builders responsible for the large Caribbean reefs that form critical habitat for various species, while also performing other important roles in nature.

"While single corals may have the chance to survive … it would be very different from the coral reefs we know today and that we depend on today," said Adina Paytan, a study researcher with the University of California, Santa Cruz, who presented her research here Wednesday (Dec. 7) at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union.

Paytanand her colleagues found three species of solitary corals growing in the relatively acidic waters flowing from natural springs along the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Because of its chemical properties, this water was thought to be inhospitable to corals. Submarine excursions allow tourists to see coral formations and exotic fish without having to snorkel or dive.

Submarines can accommodate up to 45 people and dive to a depth of 70ft. The bigger ones are operated by two pilots and have large reinforced glass windows.

Egypt's Red Sea resorts, especially Sharm el-Sheikh, are well known for their white sand beaches and rich underwater life.

But in December 2010, a spate of shark attacks killed one German woman and injured four other tourists, forcing the closure of Sharm el-Sheikh's beaches for several weeks.

More than a million Britons visited Egypt last year, despite the political violence which rocked the country.

The biggest danger posed to tourists in the Sinai is terrorism – there have been three bomb attacks on the peninsula since 2004, with British nationals killed or injured in each.

The most recent occurred in April 2006 in the resort town of Dahab, which is less developed than Sharm el-Sheikh and popular with backpackers.

Green Sea Turtle Has Been Endangered By Numerous Natural And Human Created Reasons

One very interesting fact about Green Sea Turtles is that they have been around for so long that their ancestors were present when dinosaurs evolved and became extinct. This means that they have been in existence for about 150 million years. There was a time when millions of Green Sea Turtles could be found around the world. At present, there are less than 200,000 mature females in existence.
The Green Sea Turtle is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle in the world. It ranges in length from 2 to 6 feet with males averaging a little larger than females. Adult females weigh on average 200 kg and males weigh just a little more. Their carapace can be olive green, brown, or black, depending on geographic location. Their plastron is yellow.

They are called Green Sea Turtles because of the color of their flesh. Their limbs, which are flattened and flipper-like, are used for swimming. Green Sea Turtle hatchlings weigh less than 30 grams and are 5 to 10 centimeters in length. They are black on top and white on the bottom.

Green Sea Turtles can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Basically, Green Sea Turtles can be found throughout the world’s oceans save for areas in which the temperature falls below 20 degrees Celsius. Green Sea Turtles are quite sensitive to both heat and cold and prefer the warmer parts of the seas. In the Atlantic, some Green Sea Turtles have been spotted as far north as Canada. The Caribbean is the most popular choice for nesting sites for Green Sea Turtles. Many nesting sites have also been identified in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Aves Island and Puerto Rico.

In the Pacific, some Green Sea Turtles have been spotted as far north as Alaska and as far south as Chile. Popular nesting grounds in the Pacific include areas in Southeast Asia, Mexico, Australia, the South Pacific, the Hawaiian Islands and even Madagascar.

In contrast to other sea turtles, Green Sea Turtles are the only sea turtles that are herbivorous creatures. This means that they do not consume meat in their diet. However, this distinction only applies when the juvenile Green Sea Turtle grows into an adult. A Green Sea Turtle is generally considered a juvenile when it is less than eight to 10 inches in length. It takes about three years before a Green Sea Turtle grows up to eight inches in length. During the time from when it is a hatchling up to the time it becomes more mature, the diet of the Green Sea Turtle slowly shifts from a more carnivorous one to a more herbivorous one.

Adult Green Sea Turtles often consume sea grasses, mangrove leaves and algae. Juvenile sea green turtles, on the other hand, commonly include invertebrates such as jellyfish, crayfish, squids, crabs, crustaceans, shrimp, worms, snails, cuttlefish and sponges in their diet. The jaws of Green Sea Turtles are fashioned in such a way that makes it easy for them to tear their food. The head of a Green Sea Turtle is also markedly smaller compared to other sea turtles. This could be because there is no need for the Green Sea Turtle to expand its jaw to eat bigger creatures, compared to other sea turtles. Ironically, despite having a smaller head, the Green Sea Turtle is nonetheless the largest among all sea turtles.

The Green Sea Turtle near some rocks The Green Sea Turtle prefers to feed in relatively shallow waters. It is not uncommon for a Green Sea Turtle to swim through thousands of kilometres to search for food. Given that algae and sea grasses are not very filling foods, the Green Sea Turtle consumes large amounts of both each day.

It is important to note the importance of the effect of the eating habits of Green Sea Turtles on our environment. Due to their regular consumption of algae and sea grasses, succession occurs in reefs and space is freed up for settlement of other organisms in the area. Their absence in the food cycle would cause great disruption to our world. Without the consumption of sea grass by Green Sea Turtles, sea grass beds would become less productive, grow tall and become choked by sediments, which in turn would obscure sunshine and promote disease. Sea grass consumed by Green Sea Turtles is also easily digested and converted into recycled nutrients which are helpful to other plants and animals.

One cause of death for Green Sea Turtles is wrongful or mistaken consumption of food. Given that they are herbivorous, Green Sea Turtles have often mistaken objects such as debris, balloons and other plastic material pieces as food. Many Green Sea Turtles have become ill or have died as a result of human recklessness and irresponsibility. Now that we are aware of the grave implications of our actions, what is important is that we take action and try to rectify the mistakes we have made, that we might save and prolong the life of this beautiful creature. We must take the measures necessary to turn things around and save these beautiful creatures that inhabited this earth long before we did.

On The Way Of Extinction - The Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Sea Turtles are a joy to see when you are fortunate enough to spend time among them in the ocean. The Hawksbill turtle is one of several that you are likely to encounter and are usually found in the waters of Thailand, Fiji and Malaysia.

Baby Turtles are hatched from eggs that their mother has buried in the sand. Once they break out of their eggs they instinctively head for the sea, experts believe they are guided by the moonlight. For many years these creatures could not be found in their natural habitat at a young age. However, recently they were located in the Atlantic Ocean. The fledgling turtles were enjoying a diet of sargassum weed and small animals that were hiding among the weeds. A young sea turtle is at risk from a variety of predators such as seabirds, fish and crabs, once they make it to adulthood their risk of falling victim to predators other than humans is low.

The Hawksbill sea turtle is at risk for extinction and are too often poached for their beautiful shell. The turtles found in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans are subspecies of the sea turtle. The body shape is flat and they have arms that work as flippers allowing them to move easily through the water. The shell of a Hawksbill turtle will vary in color depending upon the temperature of the water they are in. The turtles are occasionally found in the open ocean, but prefer shallower areas such as coral reefs and inlets.

The diet of the Hawksbill sea turtle often includes tunicates, jellyfish and squid. The turtle is able to use their strong jaws to cut through the flesh of these creatures. The turtle's favorite meal is the sponge and part of their reduced numbers in nature is due to lack of the Hawksbill's preferred food.

The sexual maturity of the Hawksbill sea turtle is not known. However, once they are able to reproduce they will do so every 2-3 years. The turtles mate in lagoon areas that aren't very deep and the female turtle will make her way out of the water and dig a nest for her eggs in the sand. When her nest is deep enough she will then cover her eggs. This activity will take the turtle about 1-3 hours to accomplish.

The Hawksbill sea turtle differs from other types of sea turtles. The 5 characteristics that are different include claws on their flippers, a long beak designed mouth, a scale on their shell, four pairs of rib bones and their head has two pairs of scales on the front. The turtle's mouth is able to reach into small areas of coral reefs to locate food and their overall length varies from.62 to 1.14 m. The Hawksbill usually weighs around 80 kg.

The Hawksbill turtle can live to be 32 years old and they are thought to be the most tropical of the species. The animals nesting areas are difficult to locate because they change where they mate, this has been a challenge for advocates who are trying to keep them protected.

The Maldives Islands is known for its plentiful sea life including the Hawksbill sea turtle. The turtle is able to find its favorite sponges to eat and the islands offer perfect nesting locations for the female turtles. Saving these creatures is vital to the fragile marine ecosystem and those who kill them for their shells need to be stopped. The Hawksbill sea turtle is an amazing animal that has fought to survive and the human race should be working to prevent their extinction.

The Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) which once was found in abundance around the world is now on the way of extinction. The reasons behind their declination are many. Different human created and natural forces are working behind the reduction in their quantity. One of the greatest threats to their existence is the loss of coral reefs which is the habitat for Hawksbill turtles. Coral reefs are being destructed and degraded due to reckless human activities.

Human activities can affect coral reef communities in both ways gradually and catastrophically. We, humans are doing everything for our better and comfortable living without thinking about the impact of our activities on the environment. We are building more and more factories, cars, engines to meet the rapidly increasing demand of us. And to build new things we are destroying the forests and filling out the water sources. These are polluting the environment. We are burning more and more fossil fuels to run these things which is producing huge amount of Carbon-Di-Oxide every day. As the number of trees is decreasing at an alarming rate, this additional carbon is not being absorbed by anything, it is prevailing in the earth's environment.

Carbon-Di-Oxide prevents the heat from being radiated and the temperature of the earth is increasing day by day. Recently evidences have been found about the impact of global warming caused by human on coral reef communities. Climate change is affecting the corals by causing diseases frequently which can destroy the whole community of corals. As the hawksbill sea turtles depend on coral reefs for food and habitat their declination will cause severe threat to the existence of hawksbill turtles.

Excessive harvesting of the hawksbill sea turtles is the primary reason behind the declination of them. They are being harvested for their beautiful shell even since the Egyptian era. Shell of Hawksbill turtles are of great economic value. It is used in producing cosmetics, oils, perfumes and other products. In the north Caribbean islands, hawksbill turtles are harvested for their carapace which is often used to produce clips, jewelry, combs and many other ornaments.

Displays Some More Amazing Facts About Gopher Tortoise

The Gopher Tortoise, Nature's Landlord or maybe the Landlord of the Sand hills, either way it's definitely better than the moniker that I would probably end up with. The Gopher Tortoise is an obligate burrower with very stout and strong limbs. Its' claws are wide and flat with small protective scales extending up the tortoises shovel like front legs.

Their burrows can be up to 40 feet long and 10 feet deep, descending at a 30 degree angle. The width of the burrow is usually the length of tortoise, allowing for it to turn around in any section of the burrow. The male Gopher Tortoise can have an average of 17 burrows while the female maintains an average of 9, but it's common to have more than one tortoise sharing the same burrow. Fellow tortoises are not the only species that share the burrows, in fact not even close. The title Nature's Landlord comes from the fact up to 360 different animal species seek refuge in the tortoises burrow.

The list includes the gopher frog, the Florida mouse, opossum, indigo snake, pine snake, armadillo, burrowing owl, gopher cricket, scarab beetles, the Florida Scrub-jay and many others. The Gopher Tortoise is cold blooded averaging 10 inches long and up to 9lbs, its' life span ranges from 40- 60 years but in captivity can live more than 100 years. This particular tortoise belongs to a group of land tortoises that originated in North America nearly 60 million years ago and out of the nearly 23 species known to have existed on this continent as little as 4 species remain today. Once a year the female tortoise will lay an average of 6 eggs depending on their body size and it takes approximately 100 days for the eggs to incubate.

The gopher tortoises have temperature dependent sex determination, if the temperature of the sand is above 30 degrees the hatchlings will be female and below 30 degrees they will be male. The male tortoise has a concaved plastron (bottom shell) with a protruding plastron under the tortoises chin while the female's bottom shell is perfectly flat.

When the tortoises head and neck are completely retracted into the shell, the tortoise is generally safe from most predators. Although the tortoise has some natural threats like disease and climate, humans are the main cause for the decline of this species. In a list ranging from road mortalities to habitat destruction human interaction has played a major role in bringing this gentle herbivore closer to extinction. Florida has the gopher tortoise present in all 67 counties which has it on the list as a species of special concern.

Other states like Georgia, Louisiana. And Alabama have them listed as a threatened species but South Carolina and Mississippi have the tortoise on the endangered species list. The Gopher tortoise is an important part of the ecosystem and some of the species that share its burrows could not exist without them. Raising awareness and enforcing the protective laws is the only hope to keep Nature's Landlord from being evicted.

The tree species that greeted Ponce de Leon upon his discovery of Florida five centuries ago remain much the same today. Florida’s state forests are home not only to the bottomland hardwoods but to longleaf and slash pines, sometimes embedded with cypress and bay, dispersed among sawgrass swamp, scrubs, pinelands and even occasional patches of sandhills.

Such wide-ranging soils support equally varied wildlife: gopher tortoise, sandhill cranes, white-tailed deer, bobcat, and America’s bald eagle. The gopher tortoise, a threatened species, isn’t alone in this unstable state; the red-cockaded woodpecker, scrub jay, and indigo snake also share its unfortunate distinction.
The gopher tortoise is a very popular pet, but often it is not clear what care they need. They like a lot to be outdoors, walking and the sun, but also need shade and a place that can be protected inside the house to rest.

Animals are always surprises and present many interesting facts in the courtyard of a house in Manisa found a small turtle from a month old, which has 2 heads and 4 legs, but everything is under one shell.

Then the little turtle was taken to the Natural Park of Izmir in Turkey. As one can imagine the Siamese turtle, aroused the curiosity of all and the park have seen increasing visitors. Many years ago that is not copies with these features, in that place.

Although it has been said that there are several families who have found turtles with two heads and keep them as pets, living well.

A family in New York, has a two-headed turtle from the year 2002, are said to live a short time, but if they are adequately addressed can live longer.

They were told that each head has movement and managed independently, although the head seems to be right dominant.

In South Africa also has a pet family. Baar expert Ernest Cape Nature Conservation, said it is possible to find such animals, which they can be difficult it is to raise and reach adulthood.

Galapagos Tortoises Played A Key Role In Helping Us Understand How Our World Has Evolved

Gentle giants, the rare and endangered Galapagos Tortoises are the largest tortoise species in the world. Spotted by Bishop Tomas de Berlanga, when he discovered the Galapagos Islands by accident in 1535, these islands were named after them. Galapago which means 'saddle' in Spanish refers to the tortoise's saddle-shaped shell.
Growing over four feet in length and weighing in at roughly 500 pounds, these huge vertebrates have an impressive lifespan. The oldest Galapagos Tortoise was said to have lived for 152 years. However, the exact lifespan of these huge reptiles is yet to be determined as they have not been observed long enough. Another interesting fact about the Galapagos Tortoise is that they keep on growing for 30 to 40 years before they reach adulthood.

A strong population of over 250,000 in the early 19th century, today there are between 10,000 to 15,000 Galapagos Tortoises left in the wild. Innocent victims of poachers, these endemic tortoises have also been captured and killed by sailors and pirates for their meat. Another reason for a dwindling tortoise population has been attributed to the introduction of new mammal species on the islands such as goats, pigs and dogs, which step on or eat tortoise eggs, or feed off the same vegetation as tortoises do, thus causing food scarcity.

Having been reduced to near extinction, presently just 11 of the 15 tortoise subspecies exist in the Galapagos today. And while research has shown a likelihood of just 13 subspecies, many scientists believe that there were 15 Galapagos Tortoise species in total. Five subspecies of tortoises can be found on Isla Isabela, while the other six can be found on the islands of Española, Pinzón, Pinta, San Cristóbal, Santiago and Santa Cruz. It is more than likely that the tortoise subspecies on Isla Pinta will die out soon as only one male tortoise remains. Lonesome George, as he is affectionately known, is the last of the Pinta tortoises. He is currently being kept at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Isla Santa Cruz in an effort to help him mate. However, so far all attempts have been unsuccessful.

While there are different subspecies of Galapagos Tortoises, there are also different types as well. Differentiated by their size, color and the shape of their shells, one can spot three different kinds of Galapagos Tortoises. Dome-shaped tortoises have shorts limbs and necks, while their shell have a round or dome shape. Saddle-backed tortoises on the other hand have longer limbs and necks with a raised shell. The third tortoise type is known as an intermediate tortoise and is a mix between a saddle-backed and dome-shaped tortoise.

Living on a diet of fruits, cacti, grasses and vegetables, Galapagos Tortoises are herbivores. They are able to store water and food in their bodies letting them live for up to a year before they eat or drink again. Mostly found in elevated areas where the humidity is higher and there are grassy fields, many subspecies of tortoises also live on dry hotter islands where grass is sparse. Playful by nature, these cold-blooded reptiles spend much of their day basking in the sun, while at night they rest half submerged in either mud or water to stay warm.

Incredible creatures, the Galapagos Tortoises today have played a key role in helping us understand how our world has evolved. Capturing the hearts and minds of all those who visit here, these gentle playful creatures should be taken care of so as to preserve them for all future generations to enjoy.

After mating, the female will go to nesting areas several miles away to find a proper place to lay eggs. This place must be dry and sandy, so that they can bury their eggs. Once fixing on the right spot, she will take a long time to dig a hole about 12 inches deep, where she lays hard-shelled eggs which look like billiard ball. Usually they can lay 2 to 16 eggs at once. Then she covers them with sand. After that, she will make a muddy plug mixed with urine to seal the nest hole. Next she would press it firmly with her plastron. After completing all work, she will leave these eggs to be incubated by the warm sun. Unlike most animals whose gender are confirmed before they come out, whether it is a male or a female breaking out from the egg is determined by temperature. The disciplinarian is that if the temperature is low, more males will be. If it is high, more females will be.

The gestation can range from 4 to 8 months. Unlike the grown tortoise, the baby is very small, weighing only 50 grams and measuring 6 centimeters. When the young tortoises break out of their shells, these little creatures must dig their own way to the surface, which can cost up to one month. Then it's totally up to themselves to survive in the outside world. Usually, during the first 10-15 years, they will stay in warmer lowland areas to practice themselves to fit for the surroundings. Several years later, when they reach maturity, they can breed their own offspring as well.

Now, you have enough knowledge of this tortoise. You can go to the zoo and the island to see this animal, and you will gain more fun.