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Image of approximate representation of loggerhead turtle's range.
Loggerhead turtles are nocturnal nesters who choose high-energy, narrow, sharply inclined, coarse-grained beaches to lay their eggs on. They live up to 70-80+ years. They are generally solitary creatures and remain submerged under the water most of the time (NOAA Fisheries).
Species Introduction
Species Introduction
The most common marine turtle that nests in the United States is the loggerhead sea turtle. Loggerhead turtles can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, in subtropical and temperate climates. The loggerhead turtle's range in the Atlantic is from Newfoundland to Argentina. Loggerhead turtles have been spotted from Alaska to Chile in the eastern Pacific. Loggerhead sea turtles, unlike freshwater turtles and tortoises, can't retract their heads or flippers into their shells (NOAA Fisheries).
Feeding Behaviors
Feeding Behaviors
Loggerhead turtles are carnivores who only eat plant matter on rare occasions. They eat a vast variety of floating things during their open ocean phase. Unfortunately, trash and other material left by humans tends to accumulate in their natural habitat. Turtles confuse little bits of plastic for food and consume them. In coastal waters, juveniles and adults consume primarily bottom-dwelling invertebrates like whelks, other mollusks, horseshoe crabs, and other crabs. Their jaws are strong enough to smash their prey. They will occasionally eat seaweed and sargassum. Their intricate stomachs allow them to go up to months without food (NOAA Fisheries).
The Loggerhead is a "keystone species," which means that it is vital to the survival of other animals in its environment. These turtles devour invertebrates, whose shells pass through their digestive systems and then fall to the ocean's bottom, where they are consumed by other species as a calcium supply. Predators feed on loggerhead hatchlings, and more than a hundred species of creatures dwell on their shells, including barnacles, crabs, and algae (NOAA Fisheries).
Image of loggerhead turtle eating a lobster. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5621a997e4b0a49a91cb2538/1517492007148-J8WR90TVRR9AFRJJ5AI9/Bethany-Augliere-issue-52.jpg
Nutritional Ecology Classification
Nutritional Ecology Classification
The loggerhead sea turtle is a discontinuous feeder because their prey have greater diversity and abundance. This is due to their consumption of more food because they have higher absolute energetic requirements and they keep food items for longer periods of time. Because they have extremely powerful jaws, they consume hard-shelled prey and are primarily carnivores. These categories link because discontinuous feeders tend to eat high quality foodstuffs and that are available in bulk. Loggerheads eat crabs, conchs, whelks, and horseshoe crabs, all forms of food available in bulk and high quality (Anzar).
Image of digestive system of Loggerhead turtle. http://northdiamondbackterrapinresource.weebly.com/uploads/1/7/1/3/17130798/148112469.JPEG?554
Digestive Anatomy + Anatomical Classification
Digestive Anatomy + Anatomical Classification
Their large powerful jaw muscles enable them to feed on prey that are inside hard shells. As you can see in the video provided below, the Loggerhead turtle uses it jaws to grasp its prey/food. They do not have teeth to chew their food, so their jaw muscles exert large amounts of pressure to harvest their food. The Loggerhead sea turtle is monogastric even though it has two compartments in the stomach: the cranial fundic region and the caudal pyloric region. The cranial fundic region makes sure food is broken down and absorbed while the rest becomes waste. The caudal pyloric region absorbs any leftover moisture from the waste. Despite the fact that they are both parts of the same stomach, each of the two zones has distinct functions (Harris). Because of this the Loggerhead can also be classified as a Hingdut Fermenter and Cecal Digester. This two compartment stomach guarantees that the turtle gets the most nutrition from its meals while also allowing it to stay partially hydrated on its own. Even though Loggerheads eat seldom and can go months without food, their intricate stomachs enable them stay healthy and energetic.
Youtube Video showing how Loggerhead turtles eat. Start at 2:35. Video from Birch Aquarium at Scripps.
Works Cited
Anzar, Francisco J., Raga, Juan A., Tomas, Jesus. January 2001. "Feeding Ecology of the Loggerhead Turtle Caretta Caretta in the Western Mediterranean." Journal of Zoology. 255: 525-532.
NOAA Fisheries. 26 July 2021. "Loggerhead Turtle." National Oceanic and Atomspheric Administration. 1: 1-1.
Harris, Samantha. 2022. "How do Tortoise Digest Their Food?" Tortoise Knowledge. 1: 1-1.
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