Sea Turtles

There are at least seven species of Sea Turtles.Six of these   -the green turtle ,the flat back ,the hawksbill ,the loggerhead ,the Atlantic ridley ,and the Pacific ridley have bony scute-covered shells. Most zoologists classify these turtles into one family . The leatherback  forms its own family . It's shell has far fewer bones then the others and is covered with skin rather than scutes. Most sea turtles live in warm seas throughout the world. The leatherback often lives in cold Canadian   waters. All except the Australian Flatback  may be found in the coastal waters of the United States. Sea Turtles rank as the largest species. Even the small ones, ridleys, grow up to twenty-eight inches long and weigh at least 100 pounds. A leatherback may measure 8 feet long and weigh nearly 1,005 pounds. Sea turtles swim by beating their flippers like a bird does when it flies. Other Sea turtles swim with a back-and-forth paddling motion. Sea Turtles can not hide for shelter in their shell, so they depend on the size and swimming speed for defense. Female Sea turtles do not normally leave the water but go to lay eggs. Most males never return to land after entering the sea as hatchlings. The females often migrate thousands of miles to reach their breeding beaches. They drag themselves onto the beach, lay their eggs, and go back to sea. Female Sea turtles are almost completely helpless when they are on land.

                              Leatherback Sea Turtle