• The estimated population of the Leatherback Sea Turtle females is about 26,000 to 43,000.  They are declining rapidly which affects the number of sea turtle babies. Leatherback Sea Turtle page, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/printable/leatherback-sea-turtle.html
• the Leatherback Turtle lays  80 to 100 eggs !  But only a  approximately one out of a thousand makes it to adulthood. The complete book of Animals
• The Leatherback Sea Turtle, unlike most reptiles, keeps it’s body temperature warm and for this reason they have been found as far north as British Columbia, Canada, and as far south as the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.  Leatherback Sea Turtle page, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/printable/leatherback-sea-turtle.html
  
• The Leatherback Sea Turtle is the largest turtle in existence. Wild Wild World, p. 98
• The Leatherback Turtle’s carapace is made up of thousands of timy bone fragments which makes the shell slightly flexible.  - The Complete Book of Animals, p. 136
• Letherback Turles are the only turtles to survive in waqter under 40 degrees farenheight.  The Letherback Turtle has a fatty, oily layer that keeps in heat so they are warmer than the sea around them.  They also know how to pump blood out of the flippers to warm the brain and the heart. - Sea Turtles, Ocean Nomads p.12
• The Leatherback Turtle can swim up to 20 miles each day. The complete Book of Animals, p. 136
• The front flippers are the same length of the leatherback turtle itself.  The Complete Book of Animals, p. 136
• The Leatherback Turle is declining because of beach development on which they lay their eggs. The Complete Book of Animals, p. 136

Loggerhead Sea Turtles are important because they are carnivores that help balance the population of several species in the sea, including, jellyfish and the Portuguese man-of –war. By doing this, they keep the sea food chain balanced. They are beautiful animals and hardly any are able to make it to the sea when they are born. After they leave their eggs on the sandy beach, they head for the water. They can get eaten by many predators such as sea birds and once they are in the water, sharks are waiting for them

Humans are also a threat. They sell Loggerhead eggs in Indonesian markets. Also when humans cast out their fishing nets loggerhead sea turtles get caught in the fishing nets and drown. But you can also help the turtle by fishing for your own fish. If you see a loggerhead turtle, leave it alone.

You can also donate to an organization that helps sea turtles including loggerhead, leatherback, green and hawksbill sea turtles. You can also adopt turtles on certain websites and in certain stores. Visit www.cccturtle.org to adopt a sea turtle. You can also help by going to local beaches, not large beaches, that are open to sea turtle land. Join me in my quest to protect sea turtles!!!

I asked Doug White, a sea turtle expert, some questions about the Loggerhead Sea Turtle.

(Doug’s answers are in green print)

I’d like to ask you some questions for my article on Loggerhead Sea turtles.

I would like to thank you for your interest in Sea Turtles. I hope that you can get the information you need from me as well as other sources.

What made you passionate about the Loggerhead turtle and sea turtles in general?

Once you have seen them in the ocean and have swam with them you can’t help but to fall in love with them! A large part of my life has been spent on the water and the Turtles of the sea tell the story of how we are doing taken care of this planet. As they become endangered it shows us that we need to do more to prevent there food and habitat from disappearing.

What type of habitat does the Loggerhead turtle need?

A good clean ocean. They love the floating seaweed beds

How many miles can the Loggerhead turtle go without food? How much food can this turtle consume?

I don’t know how many miles, but they are constantly looking for food. They tend to drift with the current so as not to burn up extra energy.

How much does this turtle weigh?

Adults weigh in between 175-440 LBS

Why the @#!*&! do people fish with large nets and kill sea turtles in general?

They do this without the knowledge of the damage they are doing to the habitat of the sea turtles.

How can you teach people about the plight of my species and conserve this turtle’s habitat?

As I have found, just becoming interested and spreading the word about what harms their food and habitat. Writing letters to the people that make the rules to protect the food and habitat

What are organizations that help protect this animal?

Sea Turtle Survival League and the Caribbean Conservation Corporation are two of my favorites.