The leatherback turtle or loot is a unique creature. She is not only the largest and heaviest representative of the detachment, but also has a number of other distinctive features. This species is the only one in the family, therefore it is very different from other modern turtles, because even during the Triassic, its development went along a separate evolutionary path.
Our article will tell you about how amazing leatherback turtles live in their natural environment, what attracts researchers so much, why they need protection.
External Features
To those who have seen pond turtles comparable in size to a soccer ball, it is difficult to imagine that there are such giants on our planet. The weight of a leatherback turtle, according to some sources, can exceed a ton. This is comparable to the weight of a s altwater crocodile, polar bear or kodiak. True, the official record belongs to a male with a weight of 960 kg. On average, most turtles grow to a mass of 400-700 kg.
The length of the body can exceed 2 meters, while the span of flippers is on average 1.5 m.
The main difference between the species and the others is the presence of a dense shell, which consists of splicedplates covered with a thick layer of connective tissue and skin. Unlike other turtles, the leathery shell has no connection with the skeleton (usually it is formed from the ribs and processes of the vertebrae, and below from the bones of the sternum).
The leathery shell (pseudocarapace) has a number of advantages: it is light, but it protects just as well. Thanks to this "lightweight body kit", loots move perfectly and swim very fast.
Loots should not be confused with the soft-bodied leatherback turtle superfamily. The Far Eastern Trionics, for example, also does not have horny plates on its back, but the structure of its carapace is the same as that of other members of the order. Plus, softbodies are tiny compared to loot giants.
Lifespan
There is an opinion that all turtles are centenarians. It is worth noting that for some species this statement is true. But answering the question of how long a leatherback turtle lives, biologists give a modest two-digit number. Supposedly, loots can live up to fifty years, but the average life expectancy is up to thirty-five.
Where the sea giant lives
The habitat is quite wide. This animal is found only in the oceans and seas. Even in the largest reservoirs located in the depths of the continents, there are no loots. For example, the Caspian Sea (which is, in fact, a huge lake), is not a place where leatherback turtles live.
The map shows the habitat of these animals. As you can see, they are common both in the equatorial and intropical waters, and even in the southern Arctic Ocean.
In the native element
"Slow as a turtle!" - talk about slow and clumsy people. On land, most turtles really behave quite imposingly. A huge loot wandering across the sand also seems like just a sufferer, for whom every decimeter is given with great difficulty…
But as soon as he gets into his native ocean, everything changes dramatically. These turtles are hardy, strong, active. These are one of the fastest reptiles on the planet, they can swim at speeds up to 35 km / h, without slowing down for a long time.
The powerful swings of their huge flippers are simply mesmerizing. By the way, this attracts divers to many resorts where you can see these amazing giants.
Turtles are perfectly oriented underwater and can cover impressive distances without rest.
Deceptive Appearances
A creature devoid of horns, claws, and even a spiked shell may seem cute and harmless. But, believe me, if you happen to look into the open mouth of the loot, you will radically change your mind.
It looks more like a cave overgrown with stalactites. Teeth cover almost the entire inner surface of the mouth.
In addition, the jaws themselves have incredible power. Fishermen have often seen how loots gnaw through tree trunks. Mollusk shells and chitinous shells of crustaceans are also unaffected by them.
These animals are generally prettystrong. Not being naturally aggressive, loots are quite capable of fighting back. If the tortoise realizes that it cannot simply run away from the aggressor, it will engage in a fight that will most likely win by biting and delivering crushing blows with flippers.
Turtle menu
These are agile and agile animals, but they cannot compare in agility with fish and cuttlefish. Therefore, hunting loot chooses those who are inferior to him in speed.
The diet of the leatherback turtle includes sedentary trepangs, ctenophores, cephalopods, and crustaceans. Loot is not averse to feasting on some types of jellyfish. These creatures are not as nutritious as fish, so the predator has to hunt for a long time to get as much food as possible. It is noteworthy that the poison of most jellyfish is harmless to the giant tortoise, but it tries to avoid especially poisonous ones.
Loots have a peculiar metabolism. They can do without food for a long time, without losing mobility and without falling into hibernation. At the same time, they tend to overeat. Scientists can’t really explain why a turtle, under normal conditions and without the threat of impending famine, eats 5-7 times more food than it needs. Excess calories are successfully digested without affecting the behavior and he alth of the animal.
Long road to shore and back
Issues related to the reproduction of the largest turtles have always aroused the interest of scientists. These animals breed offspring every few years. Mating takes place in the water, but when approachedthe moment of laying eggs, the expectant mother makes the most difficult journey.
Instinct drives the turtle ashore. A huge animal comes out of the water, and this is a truly mesmerizing sight. A turtle on the shore is not as agile as it is in the ocean, because its limbs are designed for swimming, not for walking. Having moved a certain distance from the ocean, the female begins to dig a well in the sand. On average, its depth reaches a meter.
Two types of eggs fall into one clutch: regular and small (unfertilized). After laying, the turtle carefully buries the masonry, ramming the sand with flippers. Small eggs burst from this, freeing up additional space. On average, there are about a hundred eggs in a clutch.
Having done the deed, the mother returns to the ocean. But the process does not stop there. During the breeding season, the female usually makes 4-7 clutches, digging a separate well for each under the cover of night. The break between clutches is about one and a half weeks.
Newborn Giant
The mother compacts the sand over the masonry so that predators do not reach the eggs. It is worth noting that the ruin of loot nests is a rather rare phenomenon. It's amazing how babies hatched after a couple of months manage to overcome the sandy barrier! They dig themselves out of the sand without the help of their parents and begin their first journey in life - the most important and most dangerous.
The size and shape of leatherback turtle eggs are similar to a tennis ball. The baby that was born, no morekitten. It is hard to imagine that such a huge animal as a loot can grow from this little thing.
But while turtles do not have powerful jaws and impressive size, and therefore can become easy prey.
Natural enemies of loot
The cubs are hunted by birds and small predators. But it is not for nothing that nature has laid down such a mechanism of reproduction, in which hundreds of babies are born from two individuals at a time. If the cub wins the race and reaches the ocean, it has every chance of a long life. At first, of course, you will have to hide and run away, but very soon the threat of a blowjob. An adult is practically not in danger.
Such a large turtle does not attract marine predators. In addition, it easily tolerates descents to great depths (up to a kilometer). Loot simply has no competitors in the natural environment.
Species status and conservation measures
The greatest damage to the population at all times was caused by the most bloodthirsty and dangerous enemy. It is he who catches turtles for fat and meat, he wins back the shores for his own pleasures, he pollutes the ocean with waste and throws out garbage that turtles take for food and die … Regrettably, but the decline in the number of these underwater giants lies on the conscience of man. According to some reports, over the past century, the world population has declined by 97%.
Many countries have joined the worldwide program initiated by the UN Foundation. Protected areas are being created on the coasts where turtles could lay eggs. Heldcoastal cleanup activities, activists around the world organize fundraising campaigns for environmental funds.
Commercial catching of these animals is strictly prohibited throughout the world. The species is considered endangered.
Interesting facts
The leatherback turtle is featured on many of Fiji's government seals. For the inhabitants of this country, she is the personification of strength, endurance, phenomenal navigational talent.
Gourmet loot meat is of gastronomic interest, but is considered conditionally edible. If during life the turtle preferred poisonous jellyfish, deadly toxins accumulate in its meat.
This animal is one of the few that is not even afraid of sharks.
