Source: TH
Subject: Species in News
Context: A long-term study published in Animals (2026) shows that loggerhead turtles are shrinking in size and producing fewer eggs due to warming oceans and declining marine productivity.
About Loggerhead Turtles:
What it is?
- The Loggerhead sea turtle is a large marine turtle known for its massive head and strong jaws. It is one of the most widely distributed sea turtles in temperate and subtropical oceans.
Scientific Name: Caretta caretta
Habitat:
- Global Distribution – Found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea.
- Nesting Beaches – Prefers sandy, high-energy, sloped beaches for egg-laying.
- Major Nesting Sites – Florida (USA), Oman, Cabo Verde, Japan, and Australia.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List)
Key Characteristics:
- Physical Features:
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- Large Head & Powerful Jaws – Crush hard-shelled prey like mollusks and crustaceans.
- Reddish-Brown Carapace – Slightly heart-shaped upper shell.
- Long Lifespan – Can live 70–80 years or more.
- Reproductive Traits:
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- Delayed Maturity – Females mature around 30–35 years of age.
- Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination – Warmer sand produces more females.
- Behavioural Patterns:
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- Long-Distance Migration – Some undertake trans-oceanic journeys of thousands of kilometres.
- Natal Homing – Females return to the same region where they hatched.
- Capital Breeders – Store energy over years before reproducing.
- Ecological Role:
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- Marine Food Web Regulator – Controls populations of bottom-dwelling invertebrates.
- Indicator Species – Reflects ocean health and climate impacts.
- Beach Nutrient Cycling – Egg remnants enrich coastal ecosystems.
