Free National Geographic Pix: The Baby Turtle

Endangered sea turtles

Turtles, Ninja Turtles or should we call them the Sea turtles, the Leatherback turtles, Loggerhead turtles Hawksbill turtles or the green turtles. While not so many people have not been able to see turtles with their naked eyes, I guess a very good number of kids can tell you a lot about turtles. Many kids out there have been inspired with the great facts about turtles but in the real world, there is a different reality on the plight of the green turtles. These beautiful turtles have seen a change in their habitat.

The turtle habitat has dwindled, the turtle feeding grounds have been encroached beyond what the turtles can handle, and the food that turtles eat sometimes is mixes up with our environment degradation with oil spills while the turtle’s predators have been outnumbering the common turtle predators themselves in the deep see. The turtle habitat problem is even aggravated when these beautiful turtles come ashore to lay their eggs, some of these special turtle eggs end up on the breakfast table of the few common people while the baby turtles end up in the black market and never to make their way home in the different warm waters of the world.

The Green Turtle Species.

People who like going to the beach and especially during the nesting season might just have across the turtle habitat and have the chance to see these green turtles, the, Sea turtles, the Leatherback turtles, Loggerhead turtles or the Hawksbill turtles nesting along the beach or might have had a glimpse if baby turtles walking towards the sea. As far as the kinds of turtles found in a habitat, there are many different species of turtles and these sea green turtles are endangered already.

LEATHERBACK

As turtles come in many different colors from different sea turtle habitat such as the green turtle with Dark black-brown or greenish yellow shades, the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is no doubt one of the most impressive turtles in the world. The leatherback turtle is the only black turtle which is not as widely spread in many parts of the world oceans as the other species of turtles.

As far as the size if the turtle is concerned, the leatherback turtle is the biggest turtle species ever known. The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) weigh up to 1000 pounds (450 kg). It takes at least four able bodied men to lift this beautiful creature. Its not just the sheer size of the leatherback turtle, in fact the leatherback turtle has 7 ridges on their back or on top of its shell. Unlike the other sea turtles which have hard shells, the leatherback turtles on the contrary does not have a hard outer shell.

This kin of turtle is well protected by the small bony plates covering the shell. With many turtle natural predators who might be eager to make a meal out of the turtle, the leatherback turtle is well accustomed to swimming with ease and at great depth away from many of the lingering predators around. With their massive size, not many people look for these heavy turtles but the leatherback turtle has always been in contact with many fishermen when these turtles are caught and entangled with the nets which are laid down in many of the coastal areas.

The Hawksbill Turtle

While an average weight of a hawksbill turtle can reach about 80 kg these endangered turtles will be lucky if they are not poached in these turtle islands or turtle waters and harvested of their fat or end up on the dining tables ready to be served as dinner by the locals. As the turtle meat ends up in the stomach, the turtle shell or turtle scutes will end up as turtle jewelry to be worn or hanged out as turtle souvenirs and showpiece and be sold to the tourist visiting these turtle habitats.

LOGGERHEAD Turtles

Loggerheads turtles (Caretta caretta) are some of the unique turtles in the world. Just like the green turtles and the hawksbill turtles, the loggerhead turtles can grow up to four feet. Its only while these turtles are underwater that you actually have the chance to see their marvelous looks while they are swimming.

The loggerhead turtles are known to bite and many fishermen out there have had bad stories about the loggerhead turtles. When caught under the net, these turtles always try to set themselves free and during the struggle, the poor turtles end up being hit on the head because of the fear of being bitten. With such a turtle myth of prey and predator, this special turtle has earned its name as one of the turtles which is not eaten or hunted by man for its meat or its body parts as well.

LOGGERHEAD Turtles

Loggerheads turtles (Caretta caretta) are some of the unique turtles in the world. Just like the green turtles and the hawksbill turtles, the loggerhead turtles can grow up to four feet. Its only while these turtles are underwater that you actually have the chance to see their marvelous looks while they are swimming.

The Hawksbill Turtle

Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) have swam the coast of the Caribbean for as long as the Spaniards fished in these beautiful turtle habitat infested waters. The Hawksbill turtles also known as “tortuga carey” in Spanish have co existed sharing the same man and turtle habitat. Fishermen and beach goers along the Coast of Pearl Cays and El Cocal beach. With little turtle protection and conservation programs, the Caribbean and Nicaragua green turtles just like any other animal species in the wild is just at the mercy of nature. The hawksbill turtles found along the Caribbean coast can grow and reach length of almost 4 feet.

While an average weight of a hawksbill turtle can reach about 80 kg these endangered turtles will be lucky if they are not poached in these turtle islands or turtle waters and harvested of their fat or end up on the dining tables ready to be served as dinner by the locals. As the turtle meat ends up in the stomach, the turtle shell or turtle scutes will end up as turtle jewelry to be worn or hanged out as turtle souvenirs and showpiece and be sold to the tourist visiting these turtle habitats

LOGGERHEAD Turtles

Loggerheads turtles (Caretta caretta) are some of the unique turtles in the world. Just like the green turtles and the hawksbill turtles, the loggerhead turtles can grow up to four feet. Its only while these turtles are underwater that you actually have the chance to see their marvelous looks while they are swimming.

The loggerhead turtles is the only turtle with the biggest head. Whether the head acts as an advantage while in its natural habitat, unlike the other species of turtles which have short heads the loggerhead turtles is well adopted to its natural environment and prawns, crabs, mollusks and shrimps make most of the loggerhead’s diet. Known as turtles with the sharpest teeth, loggerhead turtles are some of the most feared turtle sin the world. Whether it’s because of their long neck and head or because they are the only turtles which don’t hide their head under the shell, these beautiful turtles are always in constant danger with people and fishermen.

The loggerhead turtles are known to bite and many fishermen out there have had bad stories about the loggerhead turtles. When caught under the net, these turtles always try to set themselves free and during the struggle, the poor turtles end up being hit on the head because of the fear of being bitten. With such a turtle myth of prey and predator, this special turtle has earned its name as one of the turtles which is not eaten or hunted by man for its meat or its body parts as well.

The Green Turtle

The green turtles, Chelonia mydas are some of the most beautiful turtle species in the world. You will be amazed to know how the green turtle got its name. While most of the animal fat is almost cream, white or golden, these green turtles are known to have green fat and hence the name green turtles. The green turtle as the word suggest is derived from the color of the fat which is deposited at the carapace. As far as the weight of a green turtle is concerned, unlike the hawksbill turtles which weigh around 80 kgs, the green turtles are almost three times heavier than the Hawksbill turtles weight about 200kgs.

One of the reason as to why the green turtles are very heavy is because these green turtles have the strongest shells hence that extra body weight comes from its scutes which do not overlap like the Hawksbill turtles. With plenty of turtle food to feed, the green turtles with such abundance of food mainly composed of sea grass and algae, the Atlantic ocean being one of the natural feeding grounds along the Caribbean Nicaragua waters is not as a matter of fact the best breeding ground for the green turtles.

With many reasons best known by the green turtles, to some extent man and nature have a helping hand in the dwindling numbers of feeding grounds along the Caribbean cost for these beautiful animals. Its not that the green turtles do not want to breed in these beautiful beaches but with the ongoing human activities, there are no clear yardstick pinpointing the full culprits due to luck of the turtle knowledge, ongoing turtle research, turtle conservation and turtle protection and rescue. Whether the plight of the green turtle in the near distance future will show hopes of improvement entirely depends of many of the turtle conservatives and turtle loving individuals.