(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species turtle, leatherback sea
Species Id M030075
Date 26 AUG 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - turtle, leatherback sea
OTHER COMMON NAMES -
ELEMENT CODE - 03/13/84
AOU CODE - 04/24/85
09/29/88
CATEGORY - Reptiles
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - Chordata,
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - Reptilia,
ORDER AND SUBORDER - Testudinata,
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - Dermochelyidae,
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - Dermochelys,
SPECIES AND SSP - coriacea,
SCIENTIFIC NAME - Dermochelys coriacea
AUTHORITY - Linnaeus
TAXONOMY REFERENCES - 2085
COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
This species is also called the leathery turtle, and leatherback sea turtle
*2085*.
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species turtle, leatherback sea
Species Id M030075
Date 26 AUG 96
STATUS
Coded Status
E: Federal Endangered
REFERENCES FOR STATUS - 2085, 828 and 274
COMMENTS ON STATUS -
This species was listed as endangered in 1979. It is protected by law in
most of the countries where nesting occurs, however, enforcement of these
laws varies with the country. Causes for declines in stocks include 1)
destruction or modification of habitat, 2) overutilization for commercial,
scientific or educational purposes, 3) inadequate regulatory mechanisms, 4)
disease and/or predation, and 5) losses from incidental catch *8850*.
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Distribution
Species turtle, leatherback sea
Species Id M030075
Date 26 AUG 96
DISTRIBUTION
References on County Occurrence - 001, 073, 103, 115, 119, 131, 133, 199, 650, 700, 810, CB1, CB2 and AO1
REFERENCES FOR HYDROLOGIC UNIT CODES - 001, 073, 103, 115, 119, 131, 133, 199, 650, 700, 810, CB1, CB2 and AO1
REFERENCES FOR OTHER DISTRIBUTION - H
Distribution - 1 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
HABITAT - Aquatic
REFERENCES FOR HABITAT - 2085 and 1027
LAND USE -
Water
Bays and Estuaries
Chesapeake Bay
Atlantic Ocean Coastal Waters
Barren Land
Beaches
REFERENCES FOR LAND USE - 2085
NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY CODES
NWI NWICLS NWIMOD NWISPEC
Marine, subtidal OW0
Estuarine, subtidal OW0
Marine, intertidal BB2
Estuarine, intertidal BB2
REFERENCES FOR NWI - 2085, 1027 and 1038
COMMENTS ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS -
Nesting requires a sloping sandy beach backed with vegetation. Breeding
occurs just off shore near the nesting sites *8850*.
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species turtle, leatherback sea
Species Id M030075
Date 26 AUG 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
Omnivore
REFERENCES FOR TROPHIC LEVEL - 2085, 1027 and 1038
LIFESTAGE FOOD FOOD PART
General Microorganisms Fruit/Seeds
General Cyanophyta Not Specified
General Plants Not Specified
General Animals Adult stage
General Scyphozoans Adult stage
General Sea/Heart Urchins Adult stage
General Molluscs Adult stage
General Squid, Octopus Adult stage
General Crustaceans Adult stage
General Echinoderms Adult stage
Important Scyphozoans Adult stage
REFERENCES FOR GENERAL FOOD - 2085, 1027, 1038 and 8850
REFERENCES FOR IMPORTANT FOOD - 2085
COMMENTS ON FOOD -
The diet of this species is mostly soft bodied animals such as jellyfish
and tunicates, together with associated juvenile fishes, amphipods and other
organisms. In the Miami Seaquarium, the diet of leatherback hatchlings was
entirely jellyfish. They ate twice their weight in jellyfish each day
*8850*. Although they are not agile enough to catch fish on their own, they
will forage from gill and pound nets *8819*.
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species turtle, leatherback sea
Species Id M030075
Date 26 AUG 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G Aquatic Habitat Zonation: Open water [pelagic zone]
G Water Depth Preference: Specified in Comments
G Coastal Features: Sand beaches
G Coastal Features: Sandy offshore islands
G Aquatic Habitat Zonation: Shallows with emergent vegetation [littoral zone]
LIM Aquatic Habitat Zonation: Open water [pelagic zone]
LIM Coastal Features: Sand beaches
BA Coastal Features: Sand beaches
REFERENCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 2085, 1027 and 1038
REFERENCES FOR LIMITING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 2085, 1027 and 1038
REFERENCES FOR BREEDING ADULT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 2085, 1027 and 8850
COMMENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS -
This species prefers water depth greater than 15 feet *1038*. In captivity,
temperatures below 26.7 degrees C can lead to death due to intestinal im-
paction *8850*.
COMMENTS ON BREEDING ADULT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ -
Courtship and mating are believed to occur in water adjacent to the nesting
beaches just prior to the time of egg laying *8850*.
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species turtle, leatherback sea
Species Id M030075
Date 26 AUG 96
LIFE HISTORY
Physical description: This is the largest marine turtle. The carapace length
is as great as 240 cm, with an average of 155 cm. It has a weight of 290-590
kg. The carapace is triangular and covered with leathery skin, as opposed to
horny plates. There are 7 longitudinal ridges and the color is dark brown or
black with white or yellow spots. The limbs are paddle-like, clawless and
black with white edges. In the juveniles, the skin is covered with shell
scale, and the color is dark brown with yellow keels *2085,1027,1038*.
Immediately beneath the carapace skin of the adult is a continuous layer
of mosaic bones a few millimeters thick. These bones are enlarged and
thickened along the longitudinal ridges. Leatherbacks can probably exchange
gasses through their skin as indicated by sphincter muscles in the pulmonary
arteries that can divert blood from the lungs to the skin. The oil found
within both the skeleton and flesh of this species may lessen
decompression problems during rapid diving and resurfacing *8850*.
Reproduction: The breeding season varies with location but is not likely to
occur in Virginia. In the northern Atlantic, nesting begins in March and
continues into July. The incubation period is 58-65 days, and nesting
occurs every 2-3 years with 6 clutches/season, and an internesting period
of 10 days. Some females have nested as many as nine times in a season. They
nest at night even in rainy weather, and are not easily peturbed. Usually
the time on shore is about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. There are from 80-85 normal
eggs per clutch and about 30 yolkless eggs. The eggs are round and white,
from 50-54 mm in diameter. Mating occurs in shallow water *2085,1038,8850*.
Behavior: Migrations are not known. Nesting requires a sloping sandy beach
backed with vegetation. Breeding occurs just off shore near the nesting
sites *2085,1027*. The hatchlings emerge explosively usually shortly after
dark *8850*.
Origin: The origin of this species is unlikely in Virginia *2085,1038*.
Limiting factors: This species requires sloping sandy beaches for nesting
*2085,1027,1038*. The greatest threat to this species is egg collecting.
They are also subject to wanton slaughter in Guyana simply because they are
believed to be useless. In Arabia and India, they are killed and rendered
for oil to treat boat timbers. The oil is used to treat respiratory ailments
in the British Virgin Islands. They are also killed by longlines and by the
ingestion of indigestible materials such as plastics *8850*.
LIFE HISTORY CODES -
Breeding/Spawning Season: March
Breeding Spawning Season: April
Breeding/Spawning Season: May
Breeding/Spawning Season: June
Breeding/Spawning Season: July
Breeding/Spawning Season: August
Breeding/Spawning Season: September
Nest/Den Site: Primary cavity (excavates its own)
Nest/Den Site: Hole in ground
Nest/Den Site: Bare ground (no or sparce vegetation)/
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species turtle, leatherback sea
Species Id M030075
Date 26 AUG 96
LIFE HISTORY CODES -
Nest Materials: Sand
Gestation/Incubation Period: 3-4 months
Average Number of Offspring/Reproductive Effort: 101-
Number of Broods/Litters (Reproductive Efforts) Per Ye
Parental Care of Young: No care given young
REFERENCES FOR LIFE HISTORY- 2085, 1027, 1038, 8850, 8818, 8819 and 8822
Life History - 2 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species turtle, leatherback sea
Species Id M030075
Date 26 AUG 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Beneficial Regulating harvest of species being described
Beneficial Prohibiting harvest of species being described
Beneficial Stocking captive-reared wild-strain animals
Beneficial Restricting/regulating human disturbance of populations
Beneficial Public education - law enforcement
Beneficial Maintaining undisturbed/undeveloped areas
Beneficial Other management practices [specified in comments]
Existing Public education - law enforcement
Existing Stocking captive-reared wild-strain animals
Existing Other management practices [specified in comments]
REFERENCES FOR BENEFICIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - 2085
REFERENCES FOR EXISTING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - 2085
COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
In some areas, eggs are protected until they hatch *1026*. A leatherback
stepdown plan is given in the Recovery Plan *8850*.
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species turtle, leatherback sea
Species Id M030075
Date 26 AUG 96
References
828 Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife. 1983. Republication of the lists of
endangered and threatened species. Federal Register
17.11-17.12:1-24.
1026 Bustard, R. 1973. Sea Turtles, Natural History and Conservation.
Taplinger Publ. New York, N.Y:22.
1027 Carr, A.F. 1952. Handbook of Turtles. Turtles of the United States,
Canada, and Baja California. Comstock Publ. Assoc. Cornell Univ.
Press, Ithaca, N.Y:542.
1038 Pope, C.H. 1939. Turtles of the United States and Canada.
2085 Serv., U.S. Fish and Wildl.. 1980. Selected vertebrate endangered
species of the seacoast of the United States: Leatherback sea turtle.
8818 Keinath, J.A., Musick, J.A., Byles, R.A. 1987. Aspects of the
biology of Virginia's sea turtles: 1979-1986. Virginia J. Science
38 (4):329-336.
8819 Bellmund, S., Musick, J.A., Klinger, R.E., Byles, R.A., Keinath, J.A.,
Barnard, D.E. 1987. Ecology of sea turtles in Virginia. VIMS
Special Scientific Report 119. VA Inst. Marine Sci., Coll. Wm. and
Mary. Gloucester Point, VA:48.
8822 Lutcavage, M., Musick, J.A. 1985. Aspects fo the biology of sea
turtles in Virginia. Copeia 1985 2:449-456.
8850 Service , U.S. Fish and Wildlife. 1985. A recovery plan for marine
turtles. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Atlanta, GA:363.
References - 1