Wildlifeof China
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Sea Turtles
Photo: Radu Teodoreanu · CC BY 4.0
Caretta caretta
Basic stats
Diet
Primarily carnivorous; consumes hard-shelled prey including horseshoe crabs, bivalves, barnacles, whelks, and conchs, along with some algae and vascular plants
Habitat
Open ocean during early life; older juveniles and adults occupy coastal waters, reefs, salt marshes, lagoons, river mouths, and rocky or muddy seabeds
Range
Temperate and tropical portions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, including the Mediterranean Sea
Clutch size
23–198 eggs; commonly about 110–130
Incubation period
45–80 days
Size
Usually 85–100 cm; maximum reported length 213 cm
Weight
77–545 kg; average about 135 kg
Loggerhead sea turtles occur across the world’s temperate and tropical oceans, including the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea. Young turtles commonly occupy offshore waters and may shelter and feed among floating Sargassum. As they grow, they increasingly use continental-shelf and coastal habitats with rocky or muddy bottoms, coral reefs, salt marshes, brackish lagoons, and river mouths. Their large heads and powerful jaws are especially suited to crushing hard-bodied marine prey. (Animal Diversity Web)
Loggerheads feed mainly on animals such as horseshoe crabs, mollusks, barnacles, whelks, and conchs, although algae and vascular plants may also be eaten. Adult females leave the sea to excavate nests on sandy beaches and commonly deposit about 110 to 130 eggs, although reported clutches range from 23 to 198. Incubation lasts approximately 45 to 80 days. Adults usually measure 85 to 100 centimeters and average about 135 kilograms. (Animal Diversity Web)
Quick answers
- What does the Loggerhead Sea Turtle eat?
- Primarily carnivorous; consumes hard-shelled prey including horseshoe crabs, bivalves, barnacles, whelks, and conchs, along with some algae and vascular plants
- What habitat does the Loggerhead Sea Turtle live in?
- Open ocean during early life; older juveniles and adults occupy coastal waters, reefs, salt marshes, lagoons, river mouths, and rocky or muddy seabeds
- Where is the Loggerhead Sea Turtle found?
- Temperate and tropical portions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, including the Mediterranean Sea
- How many eggs does the Loggerhead Sea Turtle lay?
- 23–198 eggs; commonly about 110–130
- How long are the eggs of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle incubated?
- 45–80 days
- How big is the Loggerhead Sea Turtle?
- Usually 85–100 cm; maximum reported length 213 cm
- How much does the Loggerhead Sea Turtle weigh?
- 77–545 kg; average about 135 kg