Leatherback: The largest sea turtle of the world that has leather-like shell
Have you ever wondered what the largest animal species on the planet are like and how big they can be? Our planet is full of all kinds of creatures, big and small, short and tall. They are found in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, ranging from the microscopic to the 30-metre-long blue whale! There is no doubt that certain animals are enormous compared to others in their class, whether you measure them in terms of weight, height, or length.
The largest mammal on earth is the Antarctic blue whale (Balanoptera musculus), weighing up to 400,000 pounds (about 33 elephants) and growing as long as 98 feet. The whale can consume over 7936 pounds of krill every day during the primary feeding season. It has a heart the size of a small car and is the loudest animal on Earth, louder than a jet engine. In addition, there is one more creature which must be acknowledged, the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), the largest sea turtle in the world!
How big is the leatherback sea turtle?
The leatherback is the largest of the 7 living sea turtle species in the world and can grow to reach a length of more than 6.5 feet (2 metres) and weigh up to 2,000 pounds (900 kg). These sea turtles can be found primarily in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Their roots can be traced back to more than 100 million years, but now their number is rapidly declining in many parts of the world. They are highly migratory and can travel over 10,000 kilometres annually between their breeding and feeding areas. They are also skilled divers, having dived to 4,000 feet.
A special shell
The leatherback sea turtle gets its name ‘leatherback’ from its tough, leather-like shell. The other species of turtles have hard shells, but the leatherback's shell feels rubbery and leathery. The shell typically consists of white or yellow dots on a black background. Their carapace (shell) is made up of tiny, interlocking dermal bones that support the deeper skeleton and connective tissue beneath the skin. Interestingly, it has seven ridges running along the entire length. While the front flippers are proportionately longer than those of other sea turtles, the back flippers are paddle-shaped. The rigid carapace and their large flippers are specially crafted to withstand high hydrostatic pressures while diving to 1200 metres of depth. Astounding, isn’t it?
Plastics vs. leatherback turtles
Studies say that by 2050, there will be more plastic trash in the oceans than aquatic animals. Plastic bags closely resemble jellyfish and are mistaken by turtles for delicious seaweed. Sea turtles have an incredibly old history, but now their number is rapidly declining due to plastic pollution in the oceans. Plastics damage the internal organs of turtles and sometimes clog their intestine, making it impossible for them to eat and starving them to death. Even if they survive after consuming plastic, it may cause turtles to become buoyant in an unnatural way, which may restrict their growth and cause low reproduction rates. Another reason for their declining number is human activities such as, fisheries bycatch, illegal collection of eggs and killing of adult turtles, coastal development, and global warming.
It would be a terrible loss for future human generations if sea turtles disappear from our oceans. Since they are important for the well-being of the marine ecosystem, it is important to safeguard them.