Futurismo Biologists TeamCaretta caretta | Loggerhead turtle
Loggerhead turtles are distributed throughout tropical to subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. They inhabit open water, but can also be found in coastal areas, including bays and rivers. They are solitary, navigating ocean currents at an average depth of 10 m. Loggerhead turtles are the most common species of sea turtle in the Azores. In this area we mostly encounter young individuals that have drifted here on the gulf stream and will return to their nesting grounds on the west side of the Atlantic when they become 10-12 years old. They hibernate in deep water and can stay submerged for weeks without surfacing. The loggerhead turtles found in the Atlantic and Mediterranean breed in open water from May until September. Every second to third year females come ashore to lay their eggs in 50 cm deep holes which they dig out (the sex of the offspring depends on the temperature surrounding the egg). Sometimes a small crab Planes minutus inhabit the cavity of the plastron.
Length:
• Total: Up to 120 cm
• Carapace: 90 – 100 cm
Weight: Up to 200 kg
Global population: c.180 000
Status: Endangered
Diet: Mollusca, crustacea, cnidaria, porifera, cephalopoda, echinodermata
Longevity: c.100 years
Breeding age: 15 – 30 yrs (c.70 cm)
Number of eggs: c.200
Incubation: 42 -72 days
In other languages
Portuguese: Tartaruga boba/Tartaruga comum
Spanish: Tortuga boba
French: Tortue caouanne
Italian: Tartaruga comune
German: Unechte karettschildkröte
Dutch: Onechte karetschildpad
Swedish: Oäkta karettsköldpadda
Norwegian: Glatt karett
Danish: Uægtekaretta
Finnish: Valekarettikilpikonna
Polish: Karetta
Russian: –
Futurismo Biologists Team
Sandrina Rodrigues
