Jump to content

Leatherback sea turtle: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m Reverting possible vandalism by 202.45.119.14 to version by Discospinster. False positive? Report it. Thanks, ClueBot NG. (1934353) (Bot)
←Blanked the page
Line 1: Line 1:
{{speciesbox
| fossil_range = [[Holocene]] {{fossilrange|0.012|0}}
| status = VU
| status_system = iucn3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{IUCN2013.2|assessors= Wallace, B.P., Tiwari, M. & Girondot, M.|year= 2013 |id= 6494 |title= Dermochelys coriacea |downloaded= 27 November 2013}}</ref>
| image = LeatherbackTurtle.jpg
| image_alt = Female, digging in the sand
| genus = Dermochelys
| parent_authority = [[Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville|Blainville]], 1816<ref name="Rhodin94">{{harvnb|Rhodin|2010|p=000.94}}</ref>
| species = coriacea
| authority = ([[Domenico Vandelli|Vandelli]], 1761)<ref name="Rhodin95">{{harvnb|Rhodin|2010|p=000.95}}</ref>
| synonyms =
* ''Testudo coriacea'' <small>Vandellius, 1761</small>
* ''Testudo coriaceous'' <small>Pennant, 1769</small> ''([[ex errore]])''
* ''Testudo arcuata'' <small>Catesby, 1771</small>
* ''Testudo lyra'' <small>Lacépède, 1788</small>
* ''Testudo marina'' <small>Wilhelm, 1794</small>
* ''Testudo tuberculata'' <small>Pennant, 1801</small>
* ''Chelone coriacea'' <small>Brongniart, 1805</small>
* ''Chelonia coriacea'' <small>Oppel, 1811</small>
* ''Testudo lutaria'' <small>Rafinesque, 1814</small>
* ''Dermochelys coriacea'' <small>Blainville, 1816</small>
* ''Sphargis mercurialis'' <small>Merrem, 1820</small>
* ''Coriudo coriacea'' <small>Fleming, 1822</small>
* ''Scytina coriacea'' <small>Wagler, 1828</small>
* ''Dermochelis atlantica'' <small>LeSueur, 1829</small> ''([[nomen nudum]])''
* ''Sphargis coriacea'' <small>Gray, 1829</small>
* ''Sphargis tuberculata'' <small>Gravenhorst, 1829</small>
* ''Dermatochelys coriacea'' <small>Wagler, 1830</small>
* ''Chelyra coriacca'' <small>Rafinesque, 1832</small> ''(ex errore)''
* ''Dermatochelys porcata'' <small>Wagler, 1833</small>
* ''Testudo coriacea marina'' <small>Ranzano, 1834</small>
* ''Dermochelys atlantica'' <small>Duméril & Bibron, 1835</small>
* ''Dermatochelys atlantica'' <small>Fitzinger, 1835</small>
* ''Dermochelydis tuberculata'' <small>Alessandrini, 1838</small>
* ''Sphargis coriacea ''var''. schlegelii'' <small>Garman, 1884</small>
* ''Dermatochaelis coriacea'' <small>Oliveira, 1896</small>
* ''Sphargis angusta'' <small>Philippi, 1899</small>
* ''Dermochelys schlegelii'' <small>Stejneger, 1907</small>
* ''Dermatochelys angusta'' <small>Quijada, 1916</small>
* ''Dermochelys coriacea coriacea'' <small>Gruvel, 1926</small>
* ''Dendrochelys (Sphargis) coriacea'' <small>Pierantoni, 1934</small>
* ''Dermochelys coriacea schlegeli'' <small>Mertens, Müller & Rust, 1934</small> ''(ex errore)''
* ''Chelyra coriacea'' <small>Bourret, 1941</small>
* ''Seytina coriacea'' <small>Bourret, 1941</small>
* ''Sphargis schlegelii'' <small>Bourret, 1941</small>
* ''Dermochelys coriacea schlegelii'' <small>Carr, 1952</small>
* ''Dermochelys coriacea schlegelli'' <small>Caldwell, 1962</small> ''(ex errore)''
* ''Dermochelys schlegeli'' <small>Barker, 1964</small>
* ''Dermochelys coricea'' <small>Das, 1985</small> ''(ex errore)''
| synonyms_ref=<ref name="Fritz 2007">{{Cite journal | journal = Vertebrate Zoology | title = Checklist of Chelonians of the World | year = 2007 | author = Fritz Uwe | coauthors = Peter Havaš | volume = 57 | issue = 2 | pages = 174–176 | url = http://www.cnah.org/pdf_files/851.pdf | archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5v20ztMND | archivedate = 2010-12-17|accessdate = 29 May 2012 | ref = harv }}</ref>
}}
The '''leatherback sea turtle''' (''Dermochelys coriacea''), sometimes called the '''lute turtle''', is the largest of all living [[turtle]]s and is the fourth-heaviest modern [[reptile]] behind three [[crocodilia]]ns.<ref name="WWW">{{cite web | title =WWF - Leatherback turtle | work=Marine Turtles | publisher=[[World Wide Fund for Nature]] (WWF) | date =16 February 2007 | url =http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/about_species/species_factsheets/marine_turtles/leatherback_turtle/index.cfm
| accessdate =9 September 2007}}</ref><ref name="TurtlesOrg"/><ref>[[Largest organisms#Reptiles .28Reptilia.29|Heaviest living reptiles]]</ref> It is the only living [[species]] in the genus '''''Dermochelys'''''. It can easily be differentiated from other modern [[sea turtles]] by its lack of a [[exoskeleton|bony shell]]. Instead, its [[carapace]] is covered by skin and oily flesh. ''D. coriacea'' is the [[Monotypic taxon|only]] [[Extant taxon|extant]] member of the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Dermochelyidae]].

==Taxonomy and evolution==

===Taxonomy===
''D. coriacea'' is the only [[species]] in genus ''Dermochelys''. The genus, in turn, contains the only extant member of the family [[Dermochelyidae]].<ref name="ITISDC">{{ITIS |id=173843 |taxon=Dermochelys coriacea |accessdate=14 September 2007}}</ref>

[[Domenico Agostino Vandelli]] named the species first in 1761 as ''Testudo coriacea'' after an animal captured at [[Ostia (Rome)|Ostia]] and donated to the [[University of Padua]] by [[Pope Clement XIII]].<ref name="ITISTC">
{{ITIS |id=208671 |taxon=Testudo coriacea |accessdate=14 September 2007}}</ref> In 1816, French [[zoology|zoologist]] [[Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville|Henri Blainville]] coined the term ''Dermochelys''. The leatherback was then reclassified as ''Dermochelys coriacea''.<ref name="ITISD">
{{ITIS |id=173842 |taxon=Dermochelys |accessdate=14 September 2007}}</ref> In 1843, the zoologist [[Leopold Fitzinger]] put the genus in its own family, Dermochelyidae.<ref name="ITISFamDermo">
{{ITIS |id=173841 |taxon=Dermochelyidae |accessdate=14 September 2007}}</ref> In 1884, the American
[[natural history|naturalist]] [[Samuel Garman]] described the species as ''Sphargis coriacea schlegelii''.<ref
name="ITISSCS">
{{ITIS |id=208673 |taxon=Sphargis coriacea schlegelii |accessdate=14 September 2007}}</ref> The two were then united in ''D. coriacea'', with each given subspecies status as ''D. c. coriacea'' and ''D. c. schlegelii''. The subspecies were later labeled invalid synonyms of ''D. coriacea''.<ref name="ITISDCC">
{{ITIS |id=173844 |taxon=Dermochelys coriacea coriacea |accessdate=14 September 2007}}</ref><ref name="ITISDCS">
{{ITIS |id=208672 |taxon=Dermochelys coriacea schlegelii |accessdate=14 September 2007}}</ref>

The turtle's common name comes from the leathery texture and appearance of its carapace. Older names include "leathery turtle".<ref name="TurtlesOrg"/> and "trunk turtle".<ref name="MTN58">{{
cite journal | last = Dundee | first = Harold A. | authorlink = | title =The Etymological Riddle of the Ridley Sea Turtle | journal=Marine Turtle Newsletter | volume = 58 | pages =10–12 | publisher=| location = | year = 2001 | url =http://www.seaturtle.org/mtn/archives/mtn58/mtn58p10b.shtml |
accessdate =2008-12-30 | ref = harv}}</ref>

===Evolution===
Relatives of modern leatherback turtles have existed in some form since the first true sea turtles evolved over 110&nbsp;million years ago during the [[Cretaceous]] period. The dermochelyids are close relatives of the family [[sea turtle|Cheloniidae]], which contains the other six extant sea turtle species. However, their [[cladistics|sister taxon]] is the extinct family [[Protostegidae]] which included other species not having a hard carapace.<ref name="Mikko">{{cite web | last =Haaramo | first =Miiko | title =Dermochelyoidea - leatherback turtles and relatives | work=Miiko's Phylogeny Archive | publisher=Finnish Museum of the Natural History | date =15 August 2003 | url =http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/users/haaramo/Metazoa/Deuterostoma/Chordata/Reptilia/Parareptilia/Chelonioidea/Dermochelyoidea.htm | accessdate =15 September 2007 }}</ref><ref name="Hirayama1998">{{cite journal |author=Hirayama R | title =Oldest known sea turtle| journal=Nature| volume =392 | issue = 6677| pages = 705–708| date =16 April 1998| url =http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v392/n6677/full/392705a0.html | doi =10.1038/33669| accessdate =4 September 2007 |ref=harv}}</ref>

==Anatomy and physiology==
Leatherback turtles have the most hydrodynamic body design of any [[sea turtle]], with a large, [[Fluid Dynamics|teardrop-shaped]] body. A large pair of front flippers power the turtles through the water. Like other sea turtles, the leatherback has flattened fore limbs adapted for swimming in the open ocean. Claws are absent from both pairs of flippers. The leatherback's flippers are the largest in proportion to its body among [[Extant taxon|extant]] sea turtles. Leatherback's front flippers can grow up to {{convert|2.7|m|ft|abbr=on}} in large specimens, the largest flippers (even in comparison to its body) of any sea turtle.
[[File:A leatherback turtle covering her eggs, Turtle Beach, Tobago.ogv|left|thumb|Leatherback turtle covering her eggs, Turtle Beach, Tobago]]

The leatherback has several characteristics that distinguish it from other sea turtles. Its most notable feature is the lack of a bony [[carapace]]. Instead of [[scute]]s, it has thick, leathery skin with embedded minuscule [[osteoderm]]s. Seven distinct ridges rise from the carapace, crossing from the anterior to posterior margin of the turtle's back. Leatherbacks are unique among [[reptile]]s in that their scales lack [[Beta keratin|β-keratin]]. The entire turtle's [[Dorsum (biology)|dorsal]] surface is colored dark grey to black, with a scattering of white blotches and spots. Demonstrating [[countershading]], the turtle's underside is lightly colored.<ref name="CCC">{{cite web | title =Species Fact Sheet: Leatherback Sea Turtle | work=Caribbean Conservation Corporation & Sea Turtle Survival League | publisher=Caribbean Conservation Corporation | date =29 December 2005 | url=http://www.cccturtle.org/leatherback.htm|accessdate=6 September 2007}}</ref><ref name="ADW">{{cite web | last =Fontanes| first =F. | authorlink = | title =ADW: Dermochelys coriacea: Information | work=Animal Diversity Web | publisher=University of Michigan Museum of Zoology | year =2003 | url =http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dermochelys_coriacea.html | accessdate = 17 September 2007 }}</ref>

Instead of teeth, the leatherback turtle has points on the [[tomium]] of its upper lip, with backwards spines in its throat to help it swallow food and to stop its prey escaping once caught.
[[File:Flickr - Rainbirder - LEVIATHAN.jpg|thumbnail|left|Size of leatherback compared to human]]
''D. coriacea'' adults average {{convert|1|-|1.75|m|ft|abbr=on}} in carapace length, {{convert|1.83|-|2.2|m|ft|abbr=on}} in total length, and {{convert|250|to|700|kg|lb|abbr=on}} in weight.<ref name="CCC"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Wood |first=Gerald |title =The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats| year = 1983 | isbn = 978-0-85112-235-9}}</ref> In the [[Caribbean]], the mean size of adults was reported at {{convert|384|kg|lb|abbr=on}} in weight and {{convert|1.55|m|ft|abbr=on}} along the curve of the carapace.<ref name="DNR">http://www.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/pdf/Leatherbacktutle.pdf</ref> The largest ever found, however, was over {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on}} from head to tail, including a carapace length of over {{convert|2.2|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and weighed {{convert|916|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Eckert & Luginbuhl 1988">{{cite journal |author=Eckert KL, Luginbuhl C |year=1988 |title=Death of a Giant|journal=Marine Turtle Newsletter|volume=43|pages=2–3 |ref=harv}}</ref> That specimen was found on a beach on the west coast of Wales.<ref name=bbc>{{Cite journal | title=Mystery of Wales turtle 'solved' | publisher=BBC News |date=23 August 2004 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3588974.stm | ref=harv | postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}}}}</ref> The leatherback turtle is scarcely larger than any other sea turtle upon hatching, as they average {{convert|61.3|mm|in|abbr=on}} in carapace length and weigh around {{convert|46|g|oz|abbr=on}} when freshly hatched.<ref name="DNR"/>

''D. coriacea'' exhibits a suite of anatomical characteristics believed to be associated with a life in cold waters, including an extensive covering of [[Brown fat|brown adipose tissue]],<ref name="Goff and Stenson | 1988">{{cite journal |author=Goff GP, Stenson GB |year=1988|title=Brown Adipose Tissue in Leatherback Sea Turtles: A Thermogenic Organ in an Endothermic Reptile|journal=Copeia|issue=4|pages=1071–1075 |doi=10.2307/1445737 |volume=1988 |ref=harv}}</ref> temperature-independent swimming muscles,<ref name="Penick et al | 1998">{{cite journal |author=Penick DN, Spotila JR, O'Connor MP, Steyermark AC, George RH, Salice CJ, Paladino FV |year=1998|title=Thermal Independence of Muscle Tissue Metabolism in the Leatherback Turtle, Dermochelys coriacea |journal=Comparative Biochemical Physiology. Part A|volume=120|pages=399–403 |doi=10.1016/S1095-6433(98)00024-5 |issue=3 |ref=harv}}</ref> [[countercurrent exchange|counter-current heat exchangers]] between the large front flippers and the core body, and an extensive network of counter-current heat exchangers surrounding the trachea.<ref name="Davenport et al | 2009">{{cite journal |author=Davenport J, Fraher J, Fitzgerald E, McLaughlin P, Doyle T, Harman L, Cuffe T, Dockery P |year=2009|title=Ontogenetic Changes in Tracheal Structure Facilitate Deep Dives and Cold Water Foraging in Adult Leatherback Sea Turtles|journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |volume=212|issue=Pt 21|pages=3440–3447|pmid=19837885 |doi=10.1242/jeb.034991 |ref=harv}}</ref>

===Physiology===
Leatherbacks have been viewed as unique among reptiles for their ability to maintain high body temperatures using [[metabolism|metabolically]] generated heat, or [[endothermic|endothermy]]. Initial studies on leatherback metabolic rates found leatherbacks had resting metabolisms around three times higher than expected for a reptile of their size.<ref name="Paladino et al | 1990">{{cite journal |author=Paladino FV, O'Connor MP, Spotila JR |year=1990 |title=Metabolism of Leatherback Turtles, Gigantothermy, and Thermoregulation of Dinosaurs|journal=Nature |volume=344|pages=858–860|issue=6269 |doi=10.1038/344858a0 |ref=harv}}</ref> However, recent studies using reptile representatives encompassing all the size ranges leatherbacks pass through during [[ontogeny]] discovered the resting metabolic rate of a large ''D. coriacea'' is not significantly different from predicted results based on [[allometry]].<ref name="Wallace and Jones | 2008">{{cite journal|author=Wallace BP, Jones TT |year=2008 |title=What Makes Marine Turtles Go: A Review of Metabolic Rates and their Consequences|journal=Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology |volume=356|pages=8–24|doi=10.1016/j.jembe.2007.12.023|ref=harv}}</ref>

Rather than use a high resting metabolism, leatherbacks appear to take advantage of a high activity rate. Studies on wild ''D. coriacea'' discovered individuals may spend as little as 0.1% of the day resting.<ref name="Eckert | 2002">{{cite journal|author=Eckert SA |year=2002 |title=Swim Speed and Movement Patterns of Gravid Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) at St Croix, US Virgin Islands|journal=Journal of Experimental Biology|volume=205|issue=Pt 23|pages=3689–3697|pmid=12409495|ref=harv}}</ref> This constant swimming creates muscle-derived heat. Coupled with their counter-current heat exchangers, insulating fat covering, and large size, leatherbacks are able to maintain high temperature differentials compared to the surrounding water. Adult leatherbacks have been found with core body temperatures that were {{convert|18|C-change|F-change}} above the water in which they were swimming.<ref name="Frair et al | 1972">{{cite journal |author=Frair W, Ackman RG, Mrosovsky N |year=1972 |title=Body Temperatures of Dermochelys coriacea: Warm Turtle from Cold Water|journal=Science|volume=177|issue=4051|pages=791–793|pmid=17840128 |doi=10.1126/science.177.4051.791 |ref=harv}}</ref>

Leatherback turtles are one of the deepest-diving marine animals. Individuals have been recorded diving to depths as great as {{convert|1280|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Doyle et al l 2008">{{cite journal |author=Doyle TK, Houghton JDR, O'Súilleabháin PF, Hobson VJ, Marnell F, Davenport J, Hays GC |year=2008|title=Leatherback Turtles Satellite Tagged in European Waters|journal=Endangered Species Research|volume=4|pages=23–31 |doi=10.3354/esr00076 |ref=harv}}</ref><ref name="divedepth">{{cite web | title =Leatherbacks home | work=Daily News Tribune | publisher=Daily News Tribune | date =31 July 2008 | url=http://www.dailynewstribune.com/state/x544098115/Leatherbacks-call-Cape-Cod-home|accessdate=16 November 2008}}</ref>
Typical dive durations are between 3 and 8&nbsp;minutes, with dives of 30–70&nbsp;minutes occurring infrequently.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.seaturtle.org/ghays/reprints/Sale%20et%20al.%202006%20JEMBE.pdf|title=Long-term monitoring of leatherback turtle diving behaviour during oceanic movements|author=Alessandro Sale, et al.|journal=Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology|volume= 328|year=2006|pages=197– 210|accessdate=31 May 2012|doi=10.1016/j.jembe.2005.07.006|last2=Luschi|first2=Paolo|last3=Mencacci|first3=Resi|last4=Lambardi|first4=Paolo|last5=Hughes|first5=George R.|last6=Hays|first6=Graeme C.|last7=Benvenuti|first7=Silvano|last8=Papi|first8=Floriano|issue=2|ref=harv}}</ref>

They are also the [[Fastest animals|fastest-moving]] reptiles. The 1992 edition of the ''[[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of World Records]]'' lists the leatherback turtle moving at {{convert|35.28|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} in the water.<ref name="Speed">{{cite web | last =Shweky | first = Rachel | title =Speed of a Turtle or Tortoise | publisher=The Physics Factbook | year =1999 | url =http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1999/RachelShweky.shtml | accessdate =13 September 2007}}</ref><ref name="Guinness1992">{{cite book | last =McFarlan | first =Donald |title =Guinness Book of Records 1992 | publisher=Guinness | year =1991 | location =New York | pages = | isbn = }}</ref>
More typically, they swim at {{convert|0.5|-|2.8|m/s|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Swim speed and movement patterns of gravid leatherback sea turtles (''Dermochelys coriacea'') at St Croix, US Virgin Islands |author=Eckert SA |journal=The Journal of Experimental Biology |volume=205 |pages=3689–3697 |year=2002 |pmid=12409495 |issue=Pt 23 |ref=harv}}</ref>

==Distribution==
The leatherback turtle is a species with a [[cosmopolitan distribution|cosmopolitan]] global [[range (biology)|range]]. Of all the extant sea turtle species, ''D. coriacea'' has the widest distribution, reaching as far north as [[Alaska]] and Norway and as far south as [[Cape Agulhas]] in Africa and the southernmost tip of New Zealand.<ref name="CCC"/> The leatherback is found in all [[Tropics|tropical]] and [[Subtropics|subtropical]] oceans, and its range extends well into the [[Arctic Circle]].<ref name="Willgohs1957">{{cite journal | author=Willgohs JF |title=Occurrence of the Leathery Turtle in the Northern North Sea and off Western Norway |journal=Nature |volume=179 |issue=4551 |pages=163–164 |year=1957 |url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v179/n4551/pdf/179163a0.pdf |doi=10.1038/179163a0 |format=PDF | ref=harv}}</ref>

The three major, genetically distinct populations, occur in the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]], eastern [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]], and western Pacific Oceans.<ref name="WWW"/><ref name="WWFDistribution">{{cite web | title = WWF - Leatherback turtle - Population & Distribution | work=Marine Turtles | publisher=World Wide Fund for Nature | date =16 February 2007 | url =http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/about_species/species_factsheets/marine_turtles/leatherback_turtle/lbturtle_population_distribution/index.cfm | accessdate =13 September 2007 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070809025706/http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/about_species/species_factsheets/marine_turtles/leatherback_turtle/lbturtle_population_distribution/index.cfm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 9 August 2007}}</ref> While nesting beaches have been identified in the region, leatherback populations in the Indian Ocean remain generally unassessed and unevaluated.<ref name="SWOT1Dutton">{{cite journal |author=Dutton P |authorlink=Peter Dutton |title=Building our Knowledge of the Leatherback Stock Structure |journal=The State of the World's Sea Turtles report |volume=1 |pages=10–11 |year=2006 |url=http://seaturtlestatus.org/pdf/p10-11.pdf |format=PDF |ref=harv}}</ref>

[[File:Lieux pontes tortues luth.png|thumb|center|500px|''D. coriacea'' distribution - yellow circles represent minor nesting locations, red circles are known major nesting sites]]

Recent estimates of global nesting populations are that 26,000 to 43,000 females nest annually, which is a dramatic decline from the 115,000 estimated in 1980.<ref name="Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)">{{cite web | title = Leatherback Sea Turtle-Fact Sheet | publisher=U.S Fish & Wildlife Service-North Florida Office | date =31 August 2007 | url =http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/SeaTurtles/Turtle%20Factsheets/leatherback-sea-turtle.htm }}</ref> These declining numbers have energized efforts to rebuild the species, which currently is critically endangered.<ref name="Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)">{{cite web | title = Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) | publisher=U.S Fish & Wildlife Service | url =http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/SpeciesReport.do?spcode=C00F}}</ref>

===Atlantic subpopulation===
The leatherback turtle population in the Atlantic Ocean ranges across the entire region. They range as far north as the [[North Sea]] and to the [[Cape of Good Hope]] in the south. Unlike other sea turtles, leatherback feeding areas are in colder waters, where an abundance of their [[jellyfish]] prey is found, which broadens their range. However, only a few beaches on both sides of the Atlantic provide nesting sites.<ref>{{
cite journal | first1=Stéphane |last1=Caut |first2=Elodie |last2=Guirlet |first3=Elena |last3=Angulo |first4=Krishna |last4=Das |first5=Marc |last5=Girondot | title=Isotope Analysis Reveals Foraging Area Dichotomy for Atlantic Leatherback Turtles | date=25 March 2008 | publisher=| url =http://www.plosone.org/doi/pone.0001845 | journal=PLoS ONE | pages = | accessdate = 26 March 2008 | language = }}</ref>

Off the Atlantic coast of Canada, leatherback turtles feed in the [[Gulf of Saint Lawrence]] near [[Quebec]] and as far north as [[Newfoundland and Labrador]].<ref name="NSLTWG"/> The most significant Atlantic nesting sites are in [[Suriname]], [[Guyana]], [[French Guiana]] in South America, and Trinidad and Tobago in the [[Caribbean]], and [[Gabon]] in Central Africa. The beaches of [[Mayumba National Park]] in [[Mayumba, Gabon]] host the largest nesting population on the African continent and possibly worldwide, with nearly 30,000 turtles visiting its beaches each year between October and April.<ref name="WWFDistribution"/><ref name="Mayumba">{{cite web | title =Marine Turtles | work=Mayumba National Park: Protecting Gabon's Wild Coast | publisher=Mayumba National Park | year =2006 | url =http://www.mayumbanationalpark.com/turtles.htm | accessdate =13 September 2007}}</ref><ref name="Mayumba"/> Off the northeastern coast of the South American continent, a few select beaches between French Guiana and Suriname are primary nesting sites of several species of sea turtles, the majority being leatherbacks.<ref name="Girondot1996">{{cite journal |author=Girondot M, Fretey J | title =Leatherback Turtles, Dermochelys coriacea, Nesting in French Guiana, 1978-1995 | journal=[[Chelonian Conservation Biology]] | volume =2 | pages =204–208 | year =1996 | url =http://www.ese.u-psud.fr/epc/conservation/Publi/texte/AE_CCB96.html | accessdate =14 September 2007 |ref=harv}}</ref> A few hundred nest annually on the eastern coast of Florida.<ref name="TurtlesOrg">{{cite web| title =The Leatherback Turtle (''Dermochelys coriacea'') | work=| publisher=turtles.org | date =24 January 2004 | url =http://www.turtles.org/leatherd.htm | accessdate =15 September 2007 }}</ref> In Costa Rica, the beaches of Gandoca and [[Parismina]] provide nesting grounds.<ref name="SWOT1Dutton"/><ref name="Parismina">{{cite web | title =Sea Turtles of Parismina | work=Village of Parismina, Costa Rica - Turtle Project | publisher=Parismina Social Club | date =13 May 2007 | url =http://www.parismina.com/turtle.htm | accessdate =13 September 2007}}</ref>

===Pacific subpopulation===
Pacific leatherbacks divide into two populations. One population nests on beaches in [[Papua (Indonesian province)|Papua]], Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands, and forage across the Pacific in the Northern Hemisphere, along the coasts of [[California]], [[Oregon]], and [[Washington (U.S. State)|Washington]] in North America. The eastern Pacific population forages in the Southern Hemisphere, in waters along the western coast of South America, nesting in Mexico, Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.<ref name="WWFDistribution"/><ref name="Astorian20061101"/>

The continental United States offers two major Pacific leatherback feeding areas. One well-studied area is just off the northwestern coast near the mouth of the [[Columbia River]]. The other American area is located in California.<ref name="Astorian20061101">{{
cite news | last =Profita | first =Cassandra | title =Saving the 'dinosaurs of the sea' | work=Headline News | publisher=The Daily Astorian | date =1 November 2006 | url =http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=37627&TM=60182.09 | accessdate = 7 September 2007 }}</ref> Further north, off the Pacific coast of Canada, leatherbacks visit the beaches of [[British Columbia]].<ref name="NSLTWG"/>

Estimates by the [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]] suggest only 2,300 adult females of the Pacific leatherback remain, making it the most endangered marine turtle subpopulation.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/marine_turtles/leatherback_turtle/|title = WWF - Leathetback turtle| accessdate = 1 July 2013}}</ref>

===South China Sea subpopulation===
A third possible Pacific subpopulation has been proposed, those that nest in Malaysia. This subpopulation, however, has effectively been eradicated. The beach of [[Rantau Abang]] in [[Terengganu, Malaysia]], once had the largest nesting population in the world, hosting 10,000 nests per year. The major cause for the decline was egg consumption by humans. Conservation efforts initiated in the 1960s were ineffective because they involved excavating and incubating eggs at artificial sites which inadvertently exposed the eggs to high temperatures. It only became known in the 1980s that sea turtles undergo [[temperature-dependent sex determination]]; it is suspected that nearly all the artificially incubated hatchlings were female.<ref>Heng, Natalie [http://seatru.umt.edu.my/news-media/news-2012/ Hope remains in conserving Malaysia’s three turtle species]. [[The Star Malaysia]], 8 May 2012, retrieved from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu's Sea Turtle Research Unit website on 13 May 2012.</ref> In 2008, two turtles nested at Rantau Abang, and unfortunately the eggs were infertile.

===Indian Ocean subpopulation===
While little research has been done on ''Dermochelys'' populations in the Indian Ocean, nesting populations are known from Sri Lanka and the [[Nicobar Islands]]. These turtles are proposed to form a separate, genetically distinct Indian Ocean subpopulation.<ref name="SWOT1Dutton"/>

==Ecology and life history==
[[File:Dermochelys coriacea (beach).jpg|thumb|Leatherback turtle at [[Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge]]]]

===Habitat===
Leatherback turtles can be found primarily in the [[pelagic zone|open ocean]]. Scientists tracked a leatherback turtle that swam from Indonesia to the U.S. in an epic {{convert|20000|km|mi|abbr =on}} foraging journey over a period of 647&nbsp;days.<ref name="CCC"/><ref name="iht.com">{{cite web | title = Leatherback turtle swims from Indonesia to Oregon in epic journey |work=International Herald Tribune | date =8 February 2008 | url =http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/08/asia/AS-GEN-Indonesin-Amazing-Journey.php | accessdate =8 February 2008}}</ref> Leatherbacks follow their jellyfish prey throughout the day, resulting in turtles "preferring" deeper water in the daytime, and shallower water at night (when the jellyfish rise up the water column).<ref name="Eckert | 2002">{{cite journal|author=Eckert SA |year=2002 |title=Swim Speed and Movement Patterns of Gravid Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) at St Croix, US Virgin Islands|journal=Journal of Experimental Biology|volume=205|issue=Pt 23|pages=3689–3697|pmid=12409495|ref=harv}}</ref> This hunting strategy often places turtles in very frigid waters. One individual was found actively hunting in waters that had a surface temperature of 0.4°C.<ref name="James et al | 2006">{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.jembe.2006.03.013|author=James, M.C., Davenport, J. and Hays, G.C.|year=2006 |title=Expanded Thermal Niche for a Diving Vertebrate: A Leatherback Turtle Diving into Near-Freezing Water|journal=Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology|volume=335|pages=221–226|issue=2|ref=harv}}</ref>

Its favored breeding beaches are mainland sites facing deep water, and they seem to avoid those sites protected by [[coral reef]]s.<ref>[[Ross Piper|Piper, Ross]] (2007), ''Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals'', [[Greenwood Publishing Group|Greenwood Press]].</ref>

===Feeding===
[[File:Leatherback esophagus karumbe.jpg|thumbnail|Esophagus of Leatherback turtle showing backward pointing spikes]]
Adult ''D. coriacea'' turtles subsist almost entirely on jellyfish.<ref name="CCC"/> Due to their obligate feeding nature, leatherback turtles help [[population control|control]] jellyfish populations.<ref name="WWW"/> Leatherbacks also feed on other soft-bodied organisms, such as [[tunicate]]s and [[cephalopod]]s.<ref name="WWFEcology">{{cite web | title = WWF - Leatherback turtle - Ecology & Habitat | work=Marine Turtles | publisher=World Wide Fund for Nature | date =16 February 2007 | url =http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/about_species/species_factsheets/marine_turtles/leatherback_turtle/lbturtle_ecology_habitat/index.cfm | accessdate =13 September 2007 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070809014832/http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/about_species/species_factsheets/marine_turtles/leatherback_turtle/lbturtle_ecology_habitat/index.cfm |archivedate = 9 August 2007}}</ref>

Pacific leatherbacks migrate about {{convert|6000|mi|km|abbr=on}} across the Pacific from their nesting sites in Indonesia to eat California jellyfish. One cause for their endangered state is plastic bags floating in the ocean. Pacific leatherback sea turtles mistake these plastic bags for jellyfish; an estimated one-third of adults have ingested plastic.<ref name="Mrosovky et al, 2009">{{cite journal | author = Mrosovky et al. | year = 2009 | title = Leatherback turtles: The meance of plastic | url = | journal = Marine Pollution Bulletin | volume = 58 | issue = 2| pages = 287–289 | doi = 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.10.018 | pmid = 19135688 | last2 = Ryan | first2 = GD | last3 = James | first3 = MC | ref = harv }}</ref> Plastic enters the oceans along the west coast of urban areas, where leatherbacks forage; with Californians using upward of 19&nbsp;billion plastic bags every year.<ref name="California Integrated Waste Management Board">[http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ Calrecycle.ca.gov], California Integrated Waste Management Board.</ref>

Several species of sea turtles commonly ingest plastic marine debris, and even small quantities of debris can kill sea turtles by obstructing their digestive tracts.<ref name="Bjorndal et al, 1994">{{cite journal | author = Bjorndal et al. | year = 1994 | title = Ingestion of marine debris by juvenile sea turtles in coastal Florida habitats | url = | journal = Marine Pollution Bulletin | volume = 28 | issue = 3| pages = 154–158 | doi = 10.1016/0025-326X(94)90391-3 | last2 = Bolten | first2 = Alan B. | last3 = Lagueux | first3 = Cynthia J. | ref = harv }}</ref> Nutrient dilution, which occurs when plastics displace food in the gut, affects the nutrient gain and consequently the growth of sea turtles.<ref name="Tomas et al, 2002">{{cite journal | author = Tomas et al. | year = 2002 | title = Marine debris ingestion in loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, from the Western Mediterranean | url = | journal = Marine Pollution Bulletin | volume = 44 | issue = 3| pages = 211–216 | doi = 10.1016/S0025-326X(01)00236-3 | pmid = 11954737 | last2 = Guitart | first2 = R | last3 = Mateo | first3 = R | last4 = Raga | first4 = JA | ref = harv }}</ref> Ingestion of marine debris and slowed nutrient gain leads to increased time for sexual maturation that may affect future reproductive behaviors.<ref name="Bjorndal et al, 1997">Bjorndal, K.A. et al., 1997. Foraging Ecology and Nutrition of Sea Turtles. In The Biology of Sea Turtles by Peter L. Lutz and John A. Musick. 218-220.</ref> These turtles have the highest risk of encountering and ingesting plastic bags offshore of San Francisco Bay, the Columbia River mouth, and Puget Sound.

===Lifespan===
Very little is known of the species' lifespan. Some reports claim "30 years or more"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/6494/0 |title=Dermochelys coriacea (Leatherback, Leathery Turtle, Luth, Trunkback Turtle) |publisher=Iucnredlist.org |accessdate=2013-04-22}}</ref> while others state "50 years or more".<ref>{{cite web|author=Department of Environmental Protection |url=http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2723&Q=326028 |title=DEEP: Leatherback Sea Turtle Fact Sheet |publisher=Ct.gov |date=2006-10-24 |accessdate=2013-04-22}}</ref>

===Death and decomposition===
Dead leatherbacks that wash ashore are microecosystems while [[decomposition|decomposing]]. In 1996, a drowned carcass held [[flesh-fly|sarcophagid]] and [[blow-fly|calliphorid]] flies after being picked open by a pair of ''[[American Black Vulture|Coragyps atratus]]'' vultures. Infestation by [[carrion]]-eating beetles of the families [[Scarabaeidae]], [[ground beetle|Carabidae]], and [[Darkling beetle|Tenebrionidae]] soon followed. After days of decomposition, beetles from the families [[Histeridae]] and [[rove beetle|Staphylinidae]] and [[anthomyiidae|anthomyiid]] flies invaded the corpse, as well. Organisms from more than a dozen families took part in consuming the carcass.<ref name="Fretey1998">{{cite journal |author=Fretey J, Babin R |title=Arthropod succession in leatherback turtle carrion and implications for determination of the postmortem interval | journal=Marine Turtle Newsletter | volume =80 | issue = | pages =4–7 |date=January 1998 | url =http://www.seaturtle.org/mtn/PDF/MTN79.pdf | accessdate=15 September 2007|format=PDF |ref=harv}}</ref>

===Life history===

====Predation====
Leatherback turtles face many predators in their early life. Eggs may be preyed on by a diversity of coastal predators, including [[ghost crab]]s, [[monitor lizard]]s, [[raccoon]]s, [[coati]]s, [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s, [[Genet (animal)|genet]]s, [[mongoose]]s, and [[Charadriiformes|shorebirds]] ranging from small [[plover]]s to large [[gull]]s. Many of the same predators try to feed on baby turtles as they try to get to the ocean, as well as [[frigatebird]]s and varied [[Bird of prey|raptors]]. Once in the ocean, young leatherbacks still face predation from [[cephalopod]]s, [[Carcharhinidae|requiem sharks]], and various large fish. Despite their lack of a hard shell, the huge adult faces fewer serious predators, though it is occasionally overwhelmed and preyed on by very large marine predators such as [[orca]]s, [[great white shark]]s and [[tiger shark]]s. Nesting females have been preyed upon by [[jaguar]]s in the American tropics.<ref>Caut, S., E. Guirlet, P. Jouquet, M. Girondot. 2006. ''Influence of nest location and yolkless eggs on the hatching success of leatherback turtle clutches in French Guiana''.. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 84(6): 908-916.</ref><ref>Chiang, M. 2003. ''The plight of the turtle''. Science World, 59: 8.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/seaturtle/stlongevity.html |title=Sea Turtle |publisher=Seaworld |accessdate=2011-09-02}}</ref>

Apparently, the adult leatherback aggressively defends itself at sea from predators. A medium-sized adult was observed chasing a shark that had attempted to bite it and then turned its aggression and attacked the boat containing the humans observing the prior interaction.<ref>Ernst, C., J. Lovich, R. Barbour. 1994. ''Turtles of the United States and Canada''. Washington, D.C., USA: Smithonian Institution Press.</ref> ''Dermochelys'' juveniles spend more of their time in tropical waters than do adults.<ref name="WWFEcology"/>

Adults are prone to long-distance migration. Migration occurs between the cold waters where mature leatherbacks feed, to the tropical and subtropical beaches in the regions where they hatch. In the Atlantic, females tagged in French Guiana have been recaptured on the other side of the ocean in Morocco and Spain.<ref name="Girondot1996"/>

====Mating====
[[Mating]] takes place at sea. Males never leave the water once they enter it, unlike females, which nest on land. After encountering a female (which possibly exudes a [[pheromone]] to signal her reproductive status), the male uses head movements, nuzzling, biting, or flipper movements to determine her receptiveness. Females mate every two to three years. However, leatherbacks can breed annually. [[fertilisation|Fertilization]] is internal, and multiple males usually mate with a single female. This [[polyandry]] does not provide the offspring with any special advantages.<ref name="Lee2004">{{cite journal |author=Lee PLM, Hays GC |title =Polyandry in a marine turtle: Females make the best of a bad job | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume =101 | issue =17 | pages =6530–6535 | date =27 April 2004 | doi =10.1073/pnas.0307982101 | pmid =15096623 | pmc =404079 |ref=harv}}</ref>

====Offspring====
[[File:Ponteluth.jpg|thumb|A leatherback turtle with eggs, photo taken on [[Montjoly]] beach (French Guiana)]]
While other sea turtle species almost always return to their hatching beach, leatherbacks may choose another beach within the region. They choose beaches with soft sand because their softer [[carapace|shells]] and [[plastron]]s are easily damaged by hard rocks. Nesting beaches also have shallower approach angles from the sea. This is a vulnerability for the turtles because such beaches easily erode. They nest at night when the risk of predation is lowest. As leatherback turtles spend the vast majority of their lives in the ocean, their eyes are not well adapted to night vision on land. The typical nesting environment includes a dark forested area adjacent to the beach. The contrast between this dark forest and the brighter, moonlit ocean provides directionality for the females. They nest towards the dark and then return to the ocean and the light.
[[File:Baby-leatherback-1.jpg|thumbnail|Baby leatherback turtle]]
Females excavate a nest above the high-[[tide]] line with their flippers. One female may lay as many as nine [[clutch (eggs)|clutches]] in one breeding season. About nine days pass between nesting events. Average clutch size is around 110 eggs, 85% of which are viable.<ref name="CCC"/> After laying, the female carefully back-fills the nest, disguising it from predators with a scattering of sand.<ref name="WWFEcology"/><ref name="Fretey1989a">{{cite journal |author=Fretey J, Girondot M |title =Hydrodynamic factors involved in choice of nesting site and time of arrivals of Leatherback in french Guiana | journal=Ninth Annual Workshop on Sea Turtle Conservation and Biology | volume = | pages =227–229 | year =1989 | url = | doi = | id =NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFC-232 | accessdate = |ref=harv }}</ref>

{{listen|filename=Dermochelys_coriacea_001.ogg|title=The female back-fills the nest|description=}}

====Development of Offspring====
[[Cleavage (embryo)|Cleavage]] of the cell begins within hours of fertilization, but development is suspended during the [[gastrulation]] period of movements and infoldings of [[embryo]]nic cells, while the eggs are being laid. Development then resumes, but embryos remain extremely susceptible to movement-induced mortality until the membranes fully develop after incubating for 20 to 25&nbsp;days. The structural differentiation of body and organs ([[organogenesis]]) soon follows. The eggs hatch in about 60 to 70 days. As with other reptiles, the nest's ambient temperature [[temperature-dependent sex determination|determines the sex]] of the hatchings. After nightfall, the hatchings dig to the surface and walk to the sea.<ref name="Rimblot1985">{{cite journal |author=Rimblot F, Fretey J, Mrosovsky N, Lescure J, Pieau C | title =Sexual differentiation as a function of the incubation temperature of eggs in the sea-turtle ''Dermochelys coriacea'' (Vandelli, 1761) | journal=Amphibia-Reptilia | volume =85 | pages =83–92 | year =1985 | url = | doi = 10.1163/156853885X00218| accessdate = |ref=harv }}</ref><ref name="Desvages1993">{{cite journal |author=Desvages G, Girondot M, Pieau C | title =Sensitive stages for the effects of temperature on gonadal aromatase activity in embryos of the marine turtle ''Dermochelys coriacea'' | journal=General Comparative Endocrinology | volume =92 | pages =54–61 | year =1993 | url = | doi = 10.1006/gcen.1993.1142| accessdate = | pmid =8262357 | issue =1 |ref=harv }}</ref>

Leatherback nesting seasons vary by location; it occurs from February to July in [[Parismina]], Costa Rica.<ref name="Parismina"/> Farther east in French Guiana, nesting is from March to August.<ref name="Girondot1996"/> Atlantic leatherbacks nest between February and July from South Carolina in the United States to the [[United States Virgin Islands]] in the Caribbean and to Suriname and Guyana.{{Citation needed|date=September 2007}}

==Importance to humans==
People around the world still harvest sea turtle eggs. Asian exploitation of turtle nests has been cited as the most significant factor for the species' global population decline. In Southeast Asia, egg harvesting in countries such as Thailand and Malaysia has led to a near-total collapse of local nesting populations.<ref name="WWFThreats"/> In Malaysia, where the turtle is practically [[local extinction|locally extinct]], the eggs are considered a delicacy.<ref name="Yahoo!News1">{{cite news | last =Townsend| first =Hamish| title =Taste for leatherback eggs contributes to Malaysian turtle's demise| publisher=Yahoo! Inc. | date = 10 February 2007 | url =http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070209/sc_afp/malaysiaenvironment_070209163323 | accessdate = 10 February 2007 }} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> In the Caribbean, some cultures consider the eggs to be [[aphrodisiac]]s.<ref name="WWFThreats"/>

They are also a major jellyfish predator,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/marine_turtles/leatherback_turtle/ |title=WWF - Leatherback turtle |publisher=Panda.org |accessdate=2013-06-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/jellyfish/textonly/swarms.jsp |title=NSF - Jellyfish Gone Wild |publisher=Nsf.gov |accessdate=2013-06-06}}</ref> which helps keep populations in check. This bears importance to humans, as jellyfish diets consist largely of larval fish, the adults of which are commercially fished by humans.<ref>http://www.jellyfishfacts.net/jellyfish-diet.html</ref>

==Conservation==
Leatherback turtles have few natural [[predation|predators]] once they mature; they are most vulnerable to predation in their early life stages. Birds, small [[mammal]]s, and other opportunists dig up the nests of turtles and consume eggs. [[wader|Shorebirds]] and [[crustacean]]s prey on the hatchings scrambling for the sea. Once they enter the water, they become prey to predatory fish and [[cephalopod]]s.

Leatherbacks have slightly fewer human-related threats than other sea turtle species. Their flesh contains too much oil and fat, reducing the demand. However, human activity still endangers leatherback turtles in direct and indirect ways. Directly, a few are caught for their meat by subsistence fisheries. Nests are raided by humans in places such as Southeast Asia.<ref name="WWFThreats">{{cite web | title = WWW - Leatherback Turtle - Threats | work=Marine Turtles | publisher=World Wide Fund for Nature | date =16 February 2007 | url =http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/about_species/species_factsheets/marine_turtles/leatherback_turtle/lbturtle_threats/index.cfm | accessdate =11 September 2007 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071121021358/http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/about_species/species_factsheets/marine_turtles/leatherback_turtle/lbturtle_threats/index.cfm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 21 November 2007}}</ref>

[[File:Plastic bag jellyfish.JPG|thumb|Decaying plastic bag resembling jellyfish]]

Many human activities indirectly harm ''Dermochelys'' populations. As a pelagic species, ''D. coriacea'' is occasionally caught as [[bycatch]]. As the largest living sea turtles, [[turtle excluder device]]s can be ineffective with mature adults. In the eastern Pacific alone, a reported average of 1,500 mature females were accidentally caught annually in the 1990s.<ref name="WWFThreats"/> Pollution, both chemical and physical, can also be fatal. Many turtles die from [[malabsorption]] and [[ileus|intestinal blockage]] following the ingestion of balloons and plastic bags which resemble their jellyfish [[predation|prey]].<ref name="CCC"/> Chemical pollution also has an adverse effect on ''Dermochelys''. A high level of [[phthalate]]s has been measured in their eggs' [[egg yolk|yolks]].<ref name="WWFThreats"/>

===Global initiatives===
''D. coriacea'' is listed on [[CITES Appendix I]], which makes export/import of this species (including parts) illegal.

The species is listed in the [[IUCN Red List|IUCN Red List of Threatened Species]] as VU ([[Vulnerable species|Vulnerable]]),<ref name="iucn" /> and additionally with the following infrascecific taxa assessments:
* East [[Pacific Ocean]] [[Statistical population|subpopulation]]: CR ([[Critically Endangered]])<ref name="iucn_46967807" />
* Northeast [[Indian Ocean]] subpopulation: DD ([[Data Deficient]])<ref name="iucn_46967873" />
* Northwest [[Atlantic Ocean]] subpopulation: LC ([[Least Concern]])<ref name="iucn_46967827" />
* Southeast Atlantic Ocean subpopulation: DD (Data Deficient)<ref name="iucn_46967848" />
* Southwest Atlantic Ocean subpopulation CR (Critically Endangered)<ref name="iucn_46967838" />
* Southwest Indian Ocean subpopulation CR (Critically Endangered)<ref name="iucn_46967863" />
* West Pacific Ocean subpopulation CR (Critically Endangered)<ref name="iucn_46967817" />

Conserving Pacific and Eastern Atlantic populations was included among the top ten issues in turtle conservation in the first State of the World's Sea Turtles report published in 2006. The report noted significant declines in the Mexican, Costa Rican, and Malaysian populations. The eastern Atlantic nesting population was threatened by increased fishing pressures from eastern South American countries.<ref name="SWOT1Top10">{{cite journal |author=Mast RB, Pritchard PCH |title =The Top Ten Burning Issues in Global Sea Turtle Conservation | journal=The State of the World's Sea Turtles report | volume =1 | page =13 | year =2006 | url =http://seaturtlestatus.org/report/swot-volume-1 | accessdate =14 September 2007 |ref=harv }}</ref>

The [[Leatherback Trust]] was founded specifically to conserve sea turtles, specifically its namesake. The foundation established a sanctuary in Costa Rica, the Parque Marino Las Baulas.<ref name="LeatherbackTrust">{{cite web | title =The Leatherback Trust | work=The Leatherback Trust | publisher=The Leatherback Trust | year =2007 | url =http://www.leatherback.org/index.htm | accessdate =13 September 2007}}</ref>

===National and local initiatives===
The leatherback sea turtle is subject to differing conservation laws in various countries.

The United States listed it as an [[endangered species]] on 2 June 1970. The passing of the [[Endangered Species Act]] three years later ratified its status.<ref name="ORF">{{cite web | title =The Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) | publisher=The Oceanic Resource Foundation | year =2005 | url =http://www.orf.org/turtles_leatherback.htm | accessdate =17 September 2007}}</ref> In 2012 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designated 41,914&nbsp;square miles of Pacific Ocean along California, Oregon and Washington as "critical habitat."<ref name="NMFS">{{cite web | title =NOAA designates additional critical habitat for leatherback sea turtles off West Coast | year =2012 | url =http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/20120120_leatherback.html |accessdate =27 January 2012}}</ref> In Canada, the [[Species At Risk Act]] made it illegal to exploit the species in Canadian waters. The [[Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada]] classified it as endangered.<ref name="NSLTWG">{{cite web | title =Nova Scotia Leatherback Turtle Working Group | publisher=Nova Scotia Leatherback Turtle Working Group | year =2007 | url =http://www.seaturtle.ca/ | accessdate =13 September 2007}}</ref> Ireland and Wales initiated a joint leatherback conservation effort between [[Swansea University]] and [[University College Cork]]. Funded by the [[European Regional Development Fund]], the Irish Sea Leatherback Turtle Project focuses on research such as [[Tracking animal migration|tagging]] and satellite tracking of individuals.<ref name="Irish">{{cite web | last =Doyle | first =Tom |author2=Jonathan Houghton | title =Irish Sea Leatherback Turtle Project | work=| publisher=Irish Sea Leatherback Turtle Project | year =2007 | url =http://www.turtle.ie/ | accessdate =13 September 2007}}</ref>

[[Earthwatch Institute]], a global nonprofit that teams volunteers with scientists to conduct important environmental research, launched a program called "Trinidad's Leatherback Sea Turtles". This program strives to help save the world's largest turtle from extinction in Matura Beach, Trinidad, as volunteers work side-by-side with leading scientists and a local conservation group, [[Nature Seekers]]. This tropical island off the coast of Venezuela is known for its vibrant ethnic diversity and rich cultural events. It is also the site of one of the most important nesting beaches for endangered leatherback turtles, enormous reptiles that can weigh a ton and dive deeper than many whales. Each year, more than 2,000 female leatherbacks haul themselves onto Matura Beach to lay their eggs. With leatherback populations declining more quickly than any other large animal in modern history, each turtle is precious. On this research project, Dr. Dennis Sammy of Nature Seekers and Dr. Scott Eckert of Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network work alongside a team of volunteers to help prevent extinction of leatherback sea turtles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.earthwatch.org/exped/sammy.html |title=Earthwatch: Trinidad's Leatherback Sea Turtles}}</ref>

Several Caribbean countries started conservation programs, such as the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network, focused on using [[ecotourism]] to highlight the leatherback's plight. On the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica, the village of [[Parismina]] has one such initiative. Parismina is an isolated sandbar where a large number of leatherbacks lay eggs, but poachers abound. Since 1998, the village has been assisting turtles with a hatchery program. The Parismina Social Club is a charitable organization backed by American tourists and expatriates, which collects donations to fund beach patrols.<ref name="Parismina Social Club">{{cite web | title =Parismina.com | work=Save the Turtles | publisher=Heather Hjorth | year =2009 | url =http://www.parismina.com | accessdate =20 October 2009}}</ref>
<ref name="ParisminaProject">{{cite web | last=Cruz|first=Jerry McKinley|title =History of the Sea Turtle Project in Parismina | work=Village of Parismina, Costa Rica - Turtle Project | publisher=Parismina Social Club |date=December 2006 | url =http://www.parismina.com/turtle2.htm | accessdate =13 September 2007}}</ref> [[Mayumba National Park]] in Gabon, Central Africa, was created to protect Africa's most important nesting beach. More than 30,000 turtles nest on Mayumba's beaches between September and April each year.<ref name="Mayumba"/>

In mid-2007, the Malaysian Fisheries Department revealed a plan to [[Cloning|clone]] leatherback turtles to replenish the country's rapidly declining population. Some conservation biologists, however, are skeptical of the proposed plan because cloning has only succeeded on mammals such as dogs, sheep, cats, and cattle, and uncertainties persist about cloned animals' health and lifespans.<ref name="Yahoo20070712">{{
cite news | last =Zappei | first =Julia | title =Malaysia mulls cloning rare turtles |publisher=Yahoo! News | date =12 July 2007 | url =http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070712/ap_on_sc/malaysia_cloning_turtles_1 | accessdate = 12 July 2007 }} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Leatherbacks used to nest in the thousands on Malaysian beaches, including those at [[Terengganu]], where more than 3,000 females nested in the late 1960s.<ref name="Yahoo20070718">{{
cite news | last =| first =| title =Experts meet to help save world's largest turtles |publisher=Yahoo! News | date =17 July 2007 | url =http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070717/sc_afp/malaysiausindonesia_070717180328 | accessdate = 18 July 2007 }} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The last official count of nesting leatherback females on that beach was recorded to be a mere two females in 1993.<ref name="WWFDistribution"/>

In Brazil, reproduction of the leatherback turtle is being assisted by the [[Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources|IBAMA]]'s "''projeto TAMAR''" (TAMAR project), which works to protect nests and prevent accidental kills by fishing boats. The last official count of nesting leatherback females in Brazil yielded only seven females.<ref name="brtamar">{{cite web |url=http://www.projetotamar.org.br/publi.asp |title=Tamar's Bulletin |accessdate= 26 December 2007 |author=|date = December 2007|work=Projeto Tamar's official website |publisher=|language =Portuguese |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071221032147/http://www.projetotamar.org.br/publi.asp <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 21 December 2007}}</ref> In January 2010, one female at [[Pontal do Paraná]] laid hundreds of eggs. Since leatherback sea turtles had been reported to nest only at [[Espirito Santo]]'s shore, but never in the state of Paraná, this unusual act brought much attention to the area, biologists have been protecting the nests and checking their eggs' temperature, although it might be that none of the eggs are fertile.<ref name="ufprturtle">{{cite web |url=http://www.ufpr.br/adm/templates/index.php?template=3&Cod=5936 |title=UFPR's bulletin |accessdate= 23 January 2010 |author=|date=2010-1 |work=Federal University of Paraná's official website |publisher=|language =Portuguese}}{{dead link|date=January 2014}}</ref>{{update after|2010}}

Australia's [[Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999]] lists ''D. coriacea'' as vulnerable, while Queensland's [[Nature Conservation Act 1992]] lists it as endangered.

==See also==
* [[Sea turtle threats]]

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite journal | url = http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/wp-content/uploads/file/Accounts/crm_5_000_checklist_v3_2010.pdf | title = Turtles of the world, 2010 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status |journal=Chelonian Research Monographs|volume=5| accessdate =|date=2010-12-14 | last1 = Rhodin | first1 = A. G. J. | coauthor=van Dijk, P. P.; Inverson, J. B.; Shaffer, H. B. |page=000.xx| archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5uzfktoIh | archivedate = 2010-12-15 | ref = harv | doi=10.3854/crm.5.000.checklist.v3.2010}}
* {{cite journal | journal = Vertebrate Zoology | title = Checklist of Chelonians of the World | year = 2007 | first = U. | last = Fritz | coauthors = Havaš, P. | volume = 57 | issue = 2 | pages = | id = | url = http://www.cnah.org/pdf_files/851.pdf | archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5v20ztMND | archivedate = 2010-12-17 | ref = harv }}
* Wood, R. C., et al. (1996). Evolution and phylogeny of leatherback turtles (Dermochelyidae), with descriptions of new fossil taxa. ''Chel. Cons. Biol.'' 2(2) 266-86, Lunenburg.
{{refend}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em

<ref name="iucn_46967807">Wallace, B.P., Tiwari, M. & Girondot, M. 2013. Dermochelys coriacea (East Pacific Ocean subpopulation). In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 March 2014.</ref>

<ref name="iucn_46967873">Tiwari, M., Wallace, B.P. & Girondot, M. 2013. Dermochelys coriacea (Northeast Indian Ocean subpopulation). In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 March 2014.</ref>

<ref name="iucn_46967827">Tiwari, M., Wallace, B.P. & Girondot, M. 2013. Dermochelys coriacea (Northwest Atlantic Ocean subpopulation). In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 March 2014.</ref>

<ref name="iucn_46967848">Tiwari, M., Wallace, B.P. & Girondot, M. 2013. Dermochelys coriacea (Southeast Atlantic Ocean subpopulation). In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 March 2014.</ref>

<ref name="iucn_46967838">Tiwari, M., Wallace, B.P. & Girondot, M. 2013. Dermochelys coriacea (Southwest Atlantic Ocean subpopulation). In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 March 2014.</ref>

<ref name="iucn_46967863">Wallace, B.P., Tiwari, M. & Girondot, M. 2013. Dermochelys coriacea (Southwest Indian Ocean subpopulation). In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 March 2014.</ref>

<ref name="iucn_46967817">Tiwari, M., Wallace, B.P. & Girondot, M. 2013. Dermochelys coriacea (West Pacific Ocean subpopulation). In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 March 2014.</ref>

}}

== External links ==
{{Commons|Dermochelys coriacea}}
* [http://reptilis.net/2010/08/02/t-u-r-t-l-e-power-part-3-leatherbacks-break-all-the-rules/ The Reptipage: Leatherbacks break all the rules] Detailed literature review of current leatherback knowledge.
* [http://www.mayumbanationalpark.com/turtles.htm Mayumba National Park Turtles Online] Information about and photos of sea turtles and the world's most important leatherback nesting beach.
* [http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/reptiles/Dermochelys_coriacea/ ARKive] Photographs, Video
* [http://www.orf.org/turtles_leatherback.htm The Oceanic Resource Foundation]
* [http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot_res/species/turtles/leatherback.html NOAA Office of Protected Resources leatherback turtle page]
* [http://www.cresli.org/cresli/turtles/leaback.html Leatherback Sea Turtle at CRESLI]
* [http://www.greatturtlerace.com/ The Great Turtle Race], a conservation group that monitors Leatherbacks as the swim from Costa Rica, where they've just laid their eggs, back to their natural territory of the [[Galápagos Islands]].
* [http://www.topp.org/species/leatherback_turtle/ Tagging Of Pacific Predators], a contributor to The Great Turtle Race, this research group continues to tag and monitor Leatherbacks around the world, including the turtles from the race.
* [http://www.ianandwendy.com/OtherTrips/CostaRica/video_Tamarindo_Giant_Turtle.htm Video of a leatherback turtle laying eggs] Filmed in Tamarindo, Costa Rica
* [http://www.oceanspirits.org/ Ocean Spirits], a Grenadian turtle research NGO.
* [http://www.floridaleatherbacks.com/ Leatherback turtle research at Juno Beach, Florida]
* [http://www.npws.ie/en/media/Media,5314,en.pdf NPWS] Leatherback Turtle in Irish waters.
* {{Youtube|MWtGF6JTK5g|Baby leatherback turtle hatchlings make their way to the sea}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2010}}
{{Dermochelyidae}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leatherback Turtle}}
[[Category:Dermochelyidae]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Europe|Turtle, Leatherback]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Asia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Australia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Guatemala]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Guyana]]
[[Category:Reptiles of India]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Japan]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago]]
[[Category:Reptiles of the United States|Turtle, Leatherback]]
[[Category:Fauna of Delaware and Maryland|Turtle, Leatherback]]
[[Category:Critically endangered fauna of Australia]]
[[Category:EPBC Act vulnerable biota]]
[[Category:Nature Conservation Act endangered biota]]
[[Category:Monotypic reptile genera]]
[[Category:Animals described in 1761]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Malaysia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Indonesia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Burma]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Thailand]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Sierra Leone]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Africa]]

{{Link FA|fr}}
{{Link FA|nl}}

Revision as of 00:37, 29 August 2014

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leatherback_sea_turtle&oldid=623247593"