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Dermochelys coriacea

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Leatherback sea turtle Leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea No other known names in English http://www.mrsmacdonald.net/ocean_marine_reptiles.htm

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Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Testudines Suborder: Cryptodira Superfamily: Chelonioidea Family: Dermochelyidae Genus: Dermochelys Species: Dermochelys coriacea http://theseamonster.net/2011/04/leatherback-sea-turtle-nests-increasing-in-florida/

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http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/swimming-with-sea-turtles-while-scuba-diving.html What shows their relationship: 1.Marine turtles oceanic food source and spend most of their lives there 2.Some males never leave the ocean once out of nest 3.Flippers for limbs 4.Bony carapace and plastron 5.Nest on land 6.Soft-shelled eggs

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Cosmopolitan found in ALL oceans Widest distribution of all sea turtles (Alaska/Norway to southernmost tip of New Zealand) Can tolerate ocean temperatures down to 0.4 o F (32.7 o C) Map shows KNOWN nesting sites (major and minor) Nest sites are sandy beaches http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Lieux_pontes_tortues_luth.png/800px- Lieux_pontes_tortues_luth.png

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Nektonic species (open ocean): Found mostly in the open ocean, fastest moving reptile (22mph) Can navigate along the abyssal plain (up to 1,280m (4,199ft)) Three major, genetically distinct populations Atlantic, Pacific, Pacific sub (Malaysia) Most extensive migration of any living reptile, up to 6,000 miles Purpose feeding habitats (open ocean) to nesting/mating habitats (near shorelines) http://www.sprep.org/factsheets/leatherbacks/index.htm http://www.constantinealexander.net/2011/01/05/index.html

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Diet - mainly jellyfish (heterotroph carnivore) Favorite food: lions mane jelly Also other soft-bodied organisms (tunicates & cephalopods) Tiger sharks occasionally bite off a limb or eat them Dive in a cycle that follows dense layer of plankton & jellyfish Shallow at night Deeper as sun rises http://nongtao-pampzy.blogspot.com/2009/11/report-for-after-midterm.html http://www.backhandofjustice.com/friday-links-wakeboarding-edition/ http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=1809&pst=546197

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Eggs & hatchlings fall prey to sea birds, crabs, large fish, raccoons, mongoose, feral pigs Eggs are eaten as food in some countries http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/marine_turtles/asian_marin e_turtles/background/threats/ http://www.superstock.com/stock-photos-images/4179-3705 http://coastalcare.org/2010/12/legalized-poaching-turtles-eggs-and-playa-ostional-costa-rica/

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Solitary creatures Congregate only to mate No known form of communication Some nesting beaches are visited by only one female Fish all day long Rest 0.1% of their life Bask in sun at surface during mid-day while food is deeper than normal dive range http://www.greenpacks.org/2008/08/25/sea-turtles-endangered-marine-life/ http://silverfishattack.blogspot.com/2008/12/gallery-of-turtles-international-pt-2.html

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Largest turtle and living reptile Up to 6 feet long, 16 feet flipper to flipper, up to 2,000 pounds Tear-drop (most fusiform of all sea turtles) body shape Purpose is for hydrodynamics ease of movement in water Flipper appendages for movement and steering http://www.oneocean.org/ambassadors/track_a_turtle/biology/index.html

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Only sea turtle with a leather carapace & 5-7 dorsal ridges (instead of hard shell) Dorsal ridges for hydrodynamics Front flippers for swimming used synchronously Rear flippers for steering and stopping Head and limbs non-retractable to aid in fusiform body shape http://www.oneocean.org/ambassadors/track_a_turtle/biol ogy/index.html http://bcmw.coastal.edu/outreach-education/sea-turtle-anatomy Eye has nictitating membrane to protect from sand and drying out Cusps on mouth for grabbing prey Claws on front flippers (males use for mating) Males have a longer tail

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Skeleton for support of muscles and internal organs No teeth keratin beak Bone structure of carapace: MOSAIC of small bones among soft tendons, instead of large, flat ribs (like other turtles). Allows leatherback to withstand large amounts of pressure as they descend to into deep parts of the ocean. Carapace compresses with increasing pressure http://people.wcsu.edu/pinout/herpetology/dcoriacea/speciesdescription.html http://www.science.fau.edu/biology/faculty_staff/Wyneken/ChelonianAnatomy.PDF http://www.firelily.com/samples/images/mosaic.lily.html

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Muscular system Movement, such as crawling on land and swimming http://www.science.fau.edu/biology/faculty_staff/Wyneken/ChelonianAnatomy.PDF

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Gastrointestinal system Digestion Removal of wastes Cloaca is the universal outlet for wastes and also where females are fertilized http://www.science.fau.edu/biology/faculty_staff/Wyneken/ChelonianAnatomy.PDF

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Respiratory system Taking in oxygen and getting rid of CO 2 DIVE REFLEX Slows heart and shunts blood away from extremities to conserve oxygen during deeper dives http://www.science.fau.edu/biology/faculty_staff/Wyneken/ChelonianAnatomy.PDF

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NERVOUS SYSTEM Brain (very small) and nerves reflex responses and communication throughout the body for homeostasis CIRCULATORY SYSTEM Heart, arteries, veins transport oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, wastes Countercurrent heat exchange redirects heated blood back to body core to prevent heat loss in extremities (reason why leatherbacks can tolerate colder waters) http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/KillerWhale/adapaqkw.html

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COUNTERSHADED Black with spots on carapace, white on bottom (plastron) Countershading allows for camouflage in the pelagic water column http://www.indonesiatraveling.com/National%20Parks%20Indonesia/reptiles_indo/pages/dermochelys- coriacea.htm

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Eat mainly jellyfish Has cusps (tomium) on mouth to grab food Have spikes mouth and throat to keep food going down http://www.turtlejournal.com/?p=304 http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=1809&pst=546197

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Mode of movement Leatherbacks flap their front flippers to fly through the ocean and use their rear flippers to steer and stop. They cannot swim backwards They can also use their flippers to walk or pull themselves across land Swimming, flippers used together Walking, flippers alternate http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3745919 http://whatgives365.wordpress.com/2010/10/23/save-the-sea-turtles-for-petes-sake/

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Live to be ???????, age of sexual maturity also unknown Males and females congregate in coastal, warm waters to mate Females can mate once and lay all nests in one season without mating again Females crawl ashore to lay eggs on sandy beaches Dig light-bulb-shaped nest with rear flippers (2-3feet deep) ~110 leathery-shelled eggs per nest (85% viable) 2-6 nests per season (from late spring to early fall), 8-12 day intervals Eggs hatch after 60-65 days hatchlings on their own, only 0.1% survive due to predation by raccoons, feral pigs, mongoose, crabs, fish, sea birds and humans http://rosiemolinary.com/2009/06/01/saving-the-leatherback-turtle-from-extinction/

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Mentioned before Spikes in mouth and throat to swallow food Dive reflex able to dive deep and navigate the contours of the abyssal plains. Can hold breath up to 30 minutes Countercurrent heat exchange keeps heat in core of body Able to swim quickly (22mph) SALT GLANDS remove excess salt from blood and protect eyes from drying out people say turtle is crying from leaving eggs behind. http://forthepubliceye.wordpress.com/author/forthepubliceye/ http://weareseaborn.blogspot.com/2011/01/sylvia-earle-saturday-marine-sciences.html http://www.flickr.com/photos/27619014@N04/page4/

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Parts used: Mouth, trachea, bronchus, lungs, diaphragm take in air 50% lung exchange in one breath (humans = 19%) 3-chambered heart pumps blood into lungs and rest of body to carry oxygen rich/oxygen poor blood SPECIAL ADAPTATION: DIVE REFLEX Bradycardia heart beat slows to less than 10% of normal beats per minute Peripheral capillaries and veins shut down Blood shift cell membranes allow blood and fluid to pass thru freely to keep pressure constant and prevent organs from being crushed Allows them to dive 30-70 minutes http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/342notes8.html

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Largest one ever found, >3m and >2,000lb. Brown adipose tissue (common to cold water animals) aids in thermoregulation Unlike other reptiles, can generate own body heat Males never leave the water once they enter Warmer temperatures in nests produce more females Evolved over 110 million years ago http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/marine_turtles/lac_marine_turtle_programme/ nesting_costarica/gandoca_manzanillo/

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Eggs are harvested for food Asian exploitation most significant in population decline Humans are biggest cause of Leatherback endangerment. Bycatch on trawling boats, drift nets and long lines Eaten for their meat Turtles eat plastics, mistaking plastic bags for jellyfish Nesting beaches are developed, preventing nests and killing hatchlings by drawing them inland and away from the ocean TEDs or turtle excluder devices now used on nets Leatherbacks are protected by Endangered Species Act, CITES Amendment, and many nest sites are now within National Parks (Malaysia, Caribbean, Central America) http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/info_services/publications/sotr/latest_updates/marine_reptiles/res ponse

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"SPREP Factsheet: Leatherback Turtles." Home - Pacific Regional Environment Programme. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. http://www.sprep.org/factsheets/leatherbacks/index.htmhttp://www.sprep.org/factsheets/leatherbacks/index.htm "January 5, 2011." Constantine Alexander's Blog. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. http://www.constantinealexander.net/2011/01/05/index.html. http://www.constantinealexander.net/2011/01/05/index.html "Leatherback Sea Turtle." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherback_sea_turtle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherback_sea_turtle "SEA TURTLES - Behavior." SeaWorld/Busch Gardens ANIMALS - HOME. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/sea-turtle/behavior.htm. http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/sea-turtle/behavior.htm Wyneken. Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. Web. 04 May 2011. http://www.science.fau.edu/.http://www.science.fau.edu/ "Killer Whales: Adaptations for an Aquatic Environment." SeaWorld/Busch Gardens ANIMALS - HOME. Web. 04 May 2011. http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/KillerWhale/adapaqkw.htmlhttp://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/KillerWhale/adapaqkw.html "Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea) - Office of Protected Resources - NOAA Fisheries."NOAA :: National Marine Fisheries Service. Web. 04 May 2011. http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/leatherback.htm http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/leatherback.htm "Tidewater Currents - Community Discussion on Care2.com." Care2 - Largest Online Community for Healthy and Green Living, Human Rights and Animal Welfare. Web. 04 May 2011. http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=1809 http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=1809 "Mammalian Diving Reflex." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 May 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalian_diving_reflex http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalian_diving_reflex