Image by Claudia Lombard (2011), courtesy of Wiki Commons
Image by Scott R Benson (n.d.), courtesy of Wiki Commons
Image by Bernard Dupont (1998), courtesy of Wiki Commons
Kingdom: Animalia, the animals
Phylum: Chordata, animals with a dorsal nerve cord
Class: Reptilia, coldblooded scaly skinned tetrapods
Order: Testudines, turtles, sea turtles, and tortoises
Family: Dermochelyidae, the leatherback sea turtle family
Genus: Dermochelys, the leatherback sea turtle genus.
Species Dermochelys coriacea, Latin of turtle skin of leather
Also called the lute turtle, the leather turtle, or simply the lute
Source: Wallace, B.P., Tiwari, M. & Girondot, M. (2013)
A video of a viscous leatherback seaturtle stalking a terrified school of prey. Set to a funky toon.
Some facts about leatherback sea turtles
TedEd video about the miracle of seaturtles
Conant, R., & Collins, J. T. (1998). Reptiles of North America: Eastern/Central North America. New York: Houghton Mufflin.
Galapgos tortoise. (2020). Retrieved from San Diego Zoo: https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/galapagos-tortoise#:~:text=Adapting%20and%20surviving%3A%20Gal%C3%A1pagos%20tortoises,lying%20down%20to%20conserve%20energy.
Information about sea turtles: Leatherback Sea Turtle. (2020). Retrieved from Sea Turtle Conservancy: https://conserveturtles.org/information-about-sea-turtles-leatherback-sea-turtle/
Leatherback sea turtle . (2020). Retrieved from VA Herpetological Society: https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/turtles/leatherback-sea-turtle/leatherback_sea_turtle.php
Leatherback sea turtles. (n.d.). Retrieved from SeeTurtles: https://www.seeturtles.org/leatherback-turtles#:~:text=The%20oldest%20of%20all%20sea,have%20taken%20a%20major%20toll.
NOAA. (n.d.). Species directory. Retrieved from NOAA: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/leatherback-turtle#:~:text=Like%20other%20sea%20turtle%20species,marine%20debris%2C%20and%20climate%20change.
Paladino, F. V., O'Connor, M. P., & Spotila, J. R. (1990). Metabolism of leatherback turtles, gigantothermy, and thermoregulation of dinosaurs. Nature, 344, 858-860. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/344858a0
Smithsonian Institute. (2018, December). Sea turtles: Cheloniidae and Dermatochelyidae. Retrieved from Smithsonian: Find your Blue: https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/reptiles/sea-turtles
Wallace, B. P., Tiwari, M., & Girondot, M. (2013). Dermochelys coriacea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T6494A43526147.en
Wilson, E. G., Allison, D., & Magliocca, M. (n.d.). Why Healthy Oceans Need Sea Turtles. Oceana. Retrieved from https://oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/Why_Healthy_Oceans_Need_Sea_Turtles.pdf