Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Loggerhead sea turtle Temporal range: 40–0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Cretaceous - Recent
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Subclass:	Anapsida
Order:	Testudines
Superfamily:	Chelonioidea
Family:	Cheloniidae
Genus:	Caretta Rafinesque, 1814
Species:	C. caretta
Binomial name
Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758)
Loggerhead sea turtle range Species synonymy Testudo caretta Linnaeus, 1758 Testudo cephalo Schneider, 1783 Testudo nasicornis Lacépède, 1788 Testudo caouana Lacépède, 1788 Chelone caretta Brongniart, 1805 Chelonia caouanna Schweigger, 1812 Caretta nasuta Rafinesque, 1814 Chelonia cavanna Oken, 1816 Caretta atra Merrem, 1820 Caretta cephalo Merrem, 1820 Caretta nasicornis Merrem, 1820 Chelonia caretta Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1828 Testudo corianna Gray, 1831 Chelonia pelasgorum Valenciennes in Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1833 Chelonia cephalo Gray, 1829 Chelonia (Caretta) cephalo Lesson in Bélanger, 1834 Chelonia caouanna Duméril & Bibron, 1835 Chelonia (Thalassochelys) caouana Fitzinger, 1836 Chelonia (Thalassochelys) atra Fitzinger, 1836 Thalassochelys caretta Bonaparte, 1838 Chelonia (Caouanna) cephalo Cocteau in Cocteau & Bibron in Ramon de la Sagra, 1838 Halichelys atra Fitzinger, 1843 Caounana caretta Gray, 1844 Caouana elongata Gray, 1844 Thalassochelys caouana Agassiz, 1857 Thalassochelys corticata Girard, 1858 Chelonia corticata Strauch, 1862 Thalassochelys elongata Strauch, 1862 Thalassochelys caouana Nardo, 1864 Eremonia elongata Gray, 1873 Caretta caretta Stejneger, 1873 Thalassochelys cephalo Barbour & Cole, 1906 Caretta caretta caretta Mertens & Muller, 1928 Caretta gigas Deraniyagala, 1933 Caretta caretta gigas Deraniyagala, 1939 Caretta caretta tarapacana Caldwell, 1962 Chelonia cahuano Tamayo, 1962 Caretta careta Tamayo, 1962 Genus synonymy Caretta Rafinesque, 1814 Caretta (Thalassochelys) Fitzinger, 1835 Thalassochelys Bonaparte, 1838 Caouana Cocteau in Ramon de la Sagra, 1838 Halichelys Fitzinger, 1843 Eremonia Gray, 1873  ?Pliochelys Portis, 1890  ?Proganosaurus Portis, 1890

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around 90 cm (35 in) long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to 280 cm (110 in) have been discovered. The adult loggerhead sea turtle weighs approximately 135 kg (298 lb), with the largest specimens weighing in at more than 450 kg (1,000 lb). The skin ranges from yellow to brown in color, and the shell is typically reddish brown. No external differences in sex are seen until the turtle becomes an adult, the most obvious difference being the adult males have thicker tails and shorter plastrons than the females.

The loggerhead sea turtle is found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. It spends most of its life in saltwater and estuarine habitats, with females briefly coming ashore to lay eggs. The loggerhead sea turtle has a low reproductive rate; females lay an average of four egg clutches and then become , producing no eggs for two to three years. The loggerhead reaches sexual maturity within 17–33 years and has a lifespan of 47–67 years.

The loggerhead sea turtle is omnivorous, feeding mainly on bottom-dwelling invertebrates. Its large and powerful jaws serve as an effective tool for dismantling its prey. Young loggerheads are exploited by numerous predators; the eggs are especially vulnerable to terrestrial organisms. Once the turtles reach adulthood, their formidable size limits predation to large marine animals, such as sharks.

Loggerheads are considered an endangered species and are protected by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Untended fishing gear is responsible for many loggerhead deaths. Turtles may also suffocate if they are trapped in fishing trawls. Turtle excluder devices have been implemented in efforts to reduce mortality by providing an escape route for the turtles. Loss of suitable nesting beaches and the introduction of exotic predators have also taken a toll on loggerhead populations. Efforts to restore their numbers will require international cooperation, since the turtles roam vast areas of ocean and critical nesting beaches are scattered across several countries.