Loggerhead Sea Turtles in North Carolina Mating Season Begins in May (place, average)

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Loggerhead Sea Turtles in North Carolina

LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE

STATUS: Threatened
DESCRIPTION: The loggerhead is characterized by a large head with blunt jaws. The carapace and flippers are a reddish-brown color; the plastron is yellow.
The carapace has five or more costals with the first touching the nuchal. There are three large inframarginal scutes on the bridges between the plastron and carapace.

Adults grow to an average weight of about 2OO pounds, although some specimens may occasionally reach 1,OOO pounds.
The species feeds on mollusks, crustaceans, fish, and other marine animals.


REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT: From laying to hatching, the United States nesting season runs from about May to November.
Nesting takes place nocturnally and at 2- to 3-year intervals. Three or four clutches may be laid in a season at intervals of approximately 12 days.
Clutch size averages around 115 eggs with incubation requiring 49 to 68 days, about 55 days being average. The hatchlings generally emerge at night.
Limited information indicates that turtles reach sexual maturity in 12 to 3O years.



pdf file
Help do your part protect sea turtles

http://www.fws.gov/nc-es/reptile/Hel...les--flyer.pdf

http://www.ncdcr.gov/images/Turtle%20photo.jpg (broken link)

http://www.fws.gov/nc-es/reptile/logger.html