Facts about Leatherback Turtles

1. 07

   Leatherback turtles can survive in water temperatures as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit, making them the only sea turtle species capable of inhabiting cold northern oceans.

   Leatherback TurtlesMay 14sharebiologytemperatureadaptation
2. 06

   A leatherback turtle's heart can weigh up to 1.2 pounds and beat only once every several minutes while diving, dramatically slowing its metabolism to conserve oxygen.

   Leatherback TurtlesMay 14sharebiologyphysiologyadaptation
3. 05

   During nesting season, female leatherback turtles return to the same beach where they were born, sometimes traveling over 7,000 miles to do so with remarkable navigational precision.

   Leatherback TurtlesMay 14sharemigrationbehaviorreproduction
4. 04

   Leatherback turtles consume up to 200 pounds of jellyfish annually, making them critical regulators of jellyfish populations in ocean ecosystems.

   Leatherback TurtlesMay 14sharedietecologymeasurement
5. 03

   Leatherback turtle shells lack the hard bone plates of other sea turtles, instead consisting of a flexible leather-like skin covering 7 ridges that reduce drag during swimming.

   Leatherback TurtlesMay 14shareanatomyadaptationbiology
6. 02

   Leatherback turtle hatchlings measure only two inches long yet migrate over 6,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean within their first year of life.

   Leatherback TurtlesMay 14sharemigrationmeasurementdevelopment
7. 01

   Temperature regulation allows leatherback turtles to dive deeper than 4,000 feet, making them the deepest-diving reptiles on Earth.

   Leatherback TurtlesMay 13sharebiologymeasurementadaptation