Dermochelys Coriacea Essay

Dermochelys coriacea, better known as Leatherback Turtle is the world’s largest turtle with a length of 1.6 m and a weight of 300 to 600 kg, fourth-heaviest modern reptile and is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys and family Dermochelyidae. This turtle earns his common name because it lacks the typical bony plates on its carapace, instead, is flexible and covered in a thin layer of leathery skin, is dark in colour with white and pink spots. Females have a characteristic 'pink spot' on the top of their heads. They are found in all tropical and subtropical oceans, and its range extends well into the Arctic Circle. Recent estimates of global nesting populations are that 26,000 to 43,000 females nest annually, which is a dramatic decline from the 115,000 estimated in 1980. …show more content…
Once in the ocean, young leatherbacks still face predation from cephalopods, requiem sharks, and various large fish. Despite their lack of a hard shell, the huge adults face fewer serious predators, though they are occasionally overwhelmed and preyed on by very large marine predators such as killer whales, great white sharks, and tiger sharks. Sea turtles are dependent on beaches for nesting and the sea level rise, uncontrolled coastal development, vehicle traffic on beaches, and other human activities have directly destroyed or disturbed sea turtle nesting beaches around the world. Turtle feeding grounds such as coral reefs and sea grass beds are also damaged and destroyed by activities onshore, such as sedimentation from clearing of land and nutrient run-off from