Turtles are amazing reptiles, and the group of sea turtles is no exception. Green sea turtles and loggerheads are the turtles most think of when thinking about sea turtles, but there are still 5 other types of sea turtles out there to learn about! Keep reading to check out the list and see what other turtles we share the ocean with.
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Top 10 List – Sea Turtles
1. Green Turtle
Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas
Geographic Range: Tropical And Subtropical Waters
Lifespan: 60 – 70 Years
Conservation Status: Endangered
One of the most well-known sea turtles, the green turtle is a large turtle that inhabits various tropical and subtropical waters. They are the only sea turtles that are herbivores as adults, feeding on various seagrasses and algae. Among the largest of these group of turtles, green turtles can weigh up to a whopping 700 pounds, and have a shell length of up to 5 feet, with males being slightly larger than females. As with all sea turtles, they have large flippers that help them swim through the ocean. Green turtles are not named for their skin or shell coloring, but actually because of the green fat under their shell. During breeding season females will dig nests and lay up to 115 eggs at a time.
2. Hawksbill
Scientific Name: Eretmochelys imbricata
Geographic Range: Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
Lifespan: 30 – 50 Years
Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
The hawksbill turtle got its name because of their narrow, pointed beak. Because of the gorgeous coloring and patterns on their serrated looking shell, they are often killed and turned into various decorations and trinkets. Their eggs are also still eaten around the world, which contributes to their critically endangered status. In order to get their main diet of sponges, hawksbills will use their sharp beak to get them out of various crevices in coral reefs. They will, however, occasionally feed on sea anemones and jellyfish as well. Hawksbill sea turtles are on the smaller side, weighing in at around 150 pounds, and 45-inch shell length.
3. Loggerhead Turtle
Scientific Name: Caretta caretta
Geographic Range: Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
Lifespan: 33 – 62 Years
Conservation Status: Endangered
Loggerheads get their name due to their large heads with their strong, powerful mouths. Their powerful jaw muscles allow them to crush their food, which includes hard-shell prey such as clams and sea urchins. Their heart-shaped shell can grow up to 2.5 – 3.5 feet and the turtles themselves weigh an average of 250 pounds. These gorgeous turtles are the most common sea turtle found in U.S. coastal waters. A special adaptation that these turtles have is the ability to drink saltwater, and then secrete the extra salt from glands near their eyes. This almost gives the turtle an appearance of crying!
4. Leatherback
Scientific Name: Dermochelys coriacea
Geographic Range: Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
Lifespan: At Least 30 Years
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Leatherback turtles are the largest of the bunch, weighing in at almost 2000 pounds, with a shell length of up to 6 and a half feet. They are the only sea turtles without hard shells, instead having a leathery tissue over the top of bony interlocking plates. These gorgeous animals are a blue-black color, with their bodies often covered in white or white-blue splotches. Leatherback turtles’ main diet consists of mostly jellyfish and other gelatinous prey. They have special sharp-edged jaws and backward-pointing spines along their mouth and throat that help them swallow their food.
5. Olive Ridley
Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea
Geographic Range: Southern Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
Lifespan: 50 Years
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
One of the smaller turtle species, olive ridleys weigh only 77 – 100 pounds, with their shell being around 2 to 2 and a half feet in length. These amazing sea turtles are a dark green-grey color as adults and have a hard, relatively smooth shell. Their powerful beaks help them with their omnivorous diet of mollusks, fish, shrimp, and various other crustaceans. One of only two sea turtle to have a yearly mass, synchronized nesting period (the other being Kemp’s Ridley), these turtles nest twice a season, laying over 110 eggs at a time. After 52-58 days baby turtles will hatch, and make their way to the sea for freedom.
6. Kemp’s Ridley
Scientific Name: Lepidochelys kempii
Geographic Range: Primarily in the Gulf of Mexico, but also as far north as Nova Scotia.
Lifespan: 50 Years
Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
The unique Kemp’s Ridley turtle is not only the smallest sea turtle, but also the most endangered. Their shells only grow to about 2 feet in length, and on average they weigh around 70 – 100 pounds. Hatchling kemp ridleys are a charcoal grey color, and will eventually grow into their adult colors of olive green on top and creamy yellow underneath. In the 1940s there was a female nesting population of at least 40,000 females in Mexico. By 1985 those numbers dramatically dropped to less than 300 females nesting in Mexico. Current estimates put the female population at around 5,500 females, which is small compared to 1940’s population, but thankfully much better than the 1985 population.
7. Flatback
Scientific Name: Natator depressus
Geographic Range: Australia and Papua New Guinea
Lifespan: 100 Years
Conservation Status: Data Deficient
The flatback turtle has the smallest geographic distribution of all the sea turtles, being found throughout the coastal waters of Australia and Papua New Guinea. They do not go on long ocean migrations like other turtles do, due to their limited range. Flatback turtles grow to be 31 – 37 inches in length and weigh around 220 pounds. As their name suggests, the flatback turtle was named due to their extremely flat shell, which distinguishes them between the other sea turtles. During breeding season flatback females will dig nests on the beach, laying around 50 eggs each time. This is far fewer eggs than other species of sea turtles.
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