Turtle

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Sea
Turtle


Each species of sea turtle
is distinctive in appearance and behavior, all sea turtles have certain
characteristics in common the shell consist of a carapace (upper part) and
plastron (lower part), which are joined together by cartilage called a bridge.
in most species with the exception of the leatherback scutes cover the carapace.
Like all turtles sea turtles have no external ears, they hear best at low
frequencies and their sense of smell is excellent. Though their vision
underwater is good, on land they are nearsighted. Sea turtles spend most of
their time underwater but must come up to breath. During routine activities sea
turtles can dive for about three to five minutes. Sea turtles can sleep for
several hours underwater, but their ability to hold their breath is shortened by
high activity and stress. This is why sea turtles drown in shrimp nets and other
gear in a short time. Adult sea turtles sleep near rocks or under ledges.
Hatchlings and juveniles sleep on the surface with their front flippers pulled
back over the carapace. Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempi) Charming
Tortoise of Kemp Ridleys are the smallest of the sea turtles. The Kemp's ridley
is slightly larger than the olive ridley, measuring 24 - 28 inches in carapace
length and weighing 78 - 100 pounds when mature. An adult is olive green on top
and yellowish in color on the bottom, with a large head and powerful jaws. The
carapace is circular to heart shaped. Hatchlings are dark gray and about an inch
and a half long. Kemp's ridleys were first discovered and described in 1880 by
Samuel Garman. But until the 1940's was not recognized as a species and was
often confused with the olive ridley and the loggerhead. Confusion continued
through the 1950's with many biologist convinced that the ridleys sea turtle was
a sterile hybrid of the green and the loggerhead turtles. No one could find
nesting beaches or an egg-bearing female. In 1963 an old film was discovered,
made in 1947 by Mexican engineer Andres Herrera that showed nesting r...

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