Species Profile
Environmental Conservation Online System

Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Dermochelyidae

Listing Status:   

General Information

The leatherback is the largest, deepest diving, and most migratory and wide ranging of all sea turtles. The adult leatherback can reach 4 to 8 feet in length and 500 to 2000 pounds in weight. Its shell is composed of a mosaic of small bones covered by firm, rubbery skin with seven longitudinal ridges or keels. The skin is predominantly black with varying degrees of pale spotting; including a notable pink spot on the dorsal surface of the head in adults. A toothlike cusp is located on each side of the gray upper jaw; the lower jaw is hooked anteriorly. The paddle-like clawless limbs are black with white margins and pale spotting.

Lead Region:  Southeast Region (Region 4)
Date Listed: 1970-06-02 00:00:00.0

  • States/US Territories in which the Leatherback sea turtle is known to occur:  Alabama , Alaska , American Samoa , California , Connecticut , Delaware , Florida , Georgia , Guam , Hawaii , Louisiana , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts , Mississippi , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York , North Carolina , Northern Mariana Islands , Oregon , Puerto Rico , Rhode Island , South Carolina , Texas , Virgin Islands , Virginia , Washington
  • USFWS Refuges in which the Leatherback sea turtle is known to occur:  ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , ARCHIE CARR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BLACKBEARD ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BRETON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CAPE ROMAIN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE  ... Show All Refuges
  • Countries in which the the Leatherback sea turtle is known to occur:  Albania , Angola , Antigua and Barbuda , Argentina , Aruba , Australia , Bahamas , Bahrain , Barbados , Benin , Brazil , British Virgin Islands , Canada , Cayman Islands , Chile , China , Colombia , Congo , Costa Rica , Cuba , Dominica , Dominican Republic , Ecuador , El Salvador , Eritrea , Fiji , French Guiana , Gabon , Ghana , Grenada , Guadeloupe , Guatemala , Guyana , Haiti , Honduras , India , Indonesia , Italy , Ivory Coast , Jamaica , Liberia , Malaysia , Martinique , Mauritania , Mexico , Montserrat , Mozambique , Myanmar (Burma) , Netherlands Antilles , New Zealand , Nicaragua , Palau , Panama , Papua New Guinea , Peru , Philippines , Portugal , Saint Kitts and Nevis , Saint Lucia , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , Sao Tome and Principe , Senegal , Solomon Islands , South Africa , Sri Lanka , Suriname , Taiwan , Thailand , Togo , Trinidad and Tobago , Turks and Caicos Islands , Vanuatu , Venezuela
  • For more information:  http://www.fws.gov/northflorida

» Federal Register Documents

Most Recent Federal Register Documents (Showing 5 of 7 : view all)
Date Citation Page Title
03/23/1999 64 FR 14051 14077 (NOAA/NMFS) Endangered and Threatened Species; Regulations Consolidation; Final Rule
06/29/1987 52 FR 24244 24262 NOAA--Sea Turtle Conservation; Shrimp Trawling Requirements; 52 FR 24244- 24262
03/23/1979 44 FR 17710 17712 Determination of Critical Habitat for the Leatherback Sea Turtle
09/26/1978 43 FR 43688 43689 Determination of Critical Habitat for the Leatherback Sea Turtle
03/23/1978 43 FR 12050 12051 Proposed Determination of Critical Habitat for the Leatherback Sea Turtle
Most Recent Special Rule Publications (Showing 2 of 2 )
Date Citation Page Title
03/23/1999 64 FR 14051 14077 (NOAA/NMFS) Endangered and Threatened Species; Regulations Consolidation; Final Rule
06/29/1987 52 FR 24244 24262 NOAA--Sea Turtle Conservation; Shrimp Trawling Requirements; 52 FR 24244- 24262

» Recovery

Recovery Plan Information Search
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Date Title Plan Action Status Plan Status
04/06/1992 Recovery Plan for Leatherback Turtles in the U.S. Caribbean, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico View Implementation Progress Final Revision 1
01/12/1998 Recovery Plan for U.S. Pacific Populations of the Leatherback Turtle View Implementation Progress Final Revision 1
Five Year Review
Date Title
08/21/2007 Leatherback sea turtle 5-yr review

» Critical Habitat

Current Critical Habitat Documents (Showing 4 of 4 )
Date Citation Page Title Document Type Status
03/23/1999 64 FR 14051 14077 (NOAA/NMFS) Endangered and Threatened Species; Regulations Consolidation; Final Rule Final Rule Active
03/23/1979 44 FR 17710 17712 Determination of Critical Habitat for the Leatherback Sea Turtle Final Rule Not Required
09/26/1978 43 FR 43688 43689 Determination of Critical Habitat for the Leatherback Sea Turtle Final Rule Not Required
03/23/1978 43 FR 12050 12051 Proposed Determination of Critical Habitat for the Leatherback Sea Turtle Proposed Rule Not Required

To learn more about critical habitat please see http://criticalhabitat.fws.gov

» Conservation Plans

Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP) (learn more) (Showing 5 of 6 : view all)
HCP Plan Summaries
Culebra Northshore
Indian River County Sea Turtle
Palmas del Mar Resort
St. Johns County Government
Volusia Beaches

» Petitions

No petition findings have been published for the Leatherback sea turtle.

» Life History

No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.

» Other Resources

NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

Last updated: August 24, 2009