Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Dermochelyidae
Listing Status:
Where Listed: WHEREVER FOUND
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.
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This map represents our best available information about where a species is currently known to or or is believed to occur; however, it should NOT be used as an official species list for Section 7 Consultation purposes. To obtain an official species list for this purpose, please visit the Information, Planning, and Conservation (IPaC) System (click here: http://ecos.fws.gov/ipac)
This species is listed wherever it is found, but
- States/US Territories in which the Leatherback sea turtle, Entire is known to or is believed to occur: Alabama , Alaska , California , Connecticut , Delaware , Florida , Georgia , Hawaii , Louisiana , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts , Mississippi , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York , North Carolina , Oregon , Puerto Rico , Rhode Island , South Carolina , Texas , Virginia , Virgin Islands , Washington
- US Counties in which the Leatherback sea turtle, Entire is known to or is believed to occur: View All
- USFWS Refuges in which the Leatherback sea turtle, Entire 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, Entire is known to occur: Albania, American Samoa, 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, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Liberia, Malaysia, Martinique, Mauritania, Mexico, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, 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, United States, U.S. Pacific Outlying Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vanuatu, Venezuela
- For more information: http://www.fws.gov/northflorida
| Status | Date Listed | Lead Region | Where Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06/02/1970 | Southeast Region (Region 4) | Entire |
» Federal Register Documents
|
» Recovery
Recovery Plan Information Search| Date | Title | Plan Action Status | Plan Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/12/1998 | Recovery Plan for U.S. Pacific Populations of the Leatherback Turtle | View Implementation Progress | Final Revision 1 |
| 04/06/1992 | Recovery Plan for Leatherback Turtles in the U.S. Caribbean, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico | View Implementation Progress | Final Revision 1 |
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 08/21/2007 | Leatherback sea turtle 5-yr review |
» Critical Habitat
| Date | Citation Page | Title | Document Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/23/1999 | 64 FR 14052 14077 | (NOAA/NMFS) Endangered and Threatened Species; Regulations Consolidation; Final Rule | Final Rule | Final designated |
| 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
| HCP Plan Summaries |
|---|
| Culebra Northshore |
| Indian River County Sea Turtle |
| Palmas del Mar Resort |
| St. Johns County Government |
| Volusia Beaches |
» Petitions
| Date | Citation Page | Title | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08/04/2011 | 76 FR 47133 47139 | 90-Day Finding and 12-Month Determination on a Petition To Revise Critical Habitat 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.
