what does a flatback turtle look like

The flatback turtle

is a sea turtle that can be recognized by its smooth flat-domed shell, or carapace, which has upturned edges along the sides. It has the coloration of olive green or a mixture of grey and green. This matches the coloration of its head. The underside, also called the plastron, has a much lighter coloration of a pale yellow.

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What is a flatback sea turtle?

Facts about flatback sea turtles including their habitat, diet, threats, and more. The flatback turtle is named after its flat carapace, or shell, which is unlike the curved shell of other sea turtle species.

What kind of turtle has a flat shell?

Flatback Turtles. The flatback turtle is named after its flat carapace, or shell, which is unlike the curved shell of other sea turtle species.

What is the size of a flatback sea turtle hatchling?

A flatback sea turtle hatchling is larger than other sea turtle hatchlings with its carapace length averaging 60 mm (2.4 in). Its large size helps protect it from some of the predators after hatching, and allows it to also be a stronger swimmers.

What do flatback turtles eat?

Flatback turtles are omnivores that feed on invertebrates such as jellyfish, sea pens, sea cucumbers, crustaceans and mollusks, and seaweed.

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How do you identify a flatback sea turtle?

The flatback turtle is a sea turtle that can be recognized by its smooth flat-domed shell, or carapace, which has upturned edges along the sides. It has the coloration of olive green or a mixture of grey and green. This matches the coloration of its head.

What does a flatback turtle eat?

Flatback turtles primarily eat soft-bodied prey, such as jellyfish, sea cucumbers and soft corals.

How big do flatback turtles get?

3.25 feetSize: Adults measure up to 3.25 feet in carapace length (99 cm). Weight: Adults weigh an average of 198 pounds (90 kg). Diet: Apparently eats sea cucumbers, jellyfish, mollusks, prawns, bryozoans, other invertebrates and seaweed.

Is the flatback turtle endangered?

Data deficient (Data inadequate to determine a threat category)Flatback sea turtle / Conservation status

How long does a flatback sea turtle live?

The most consistent estimate is about 80 years. There are seven species of sea turtles. Six of them are endangered. All species of sea turtles, except for the flatback sea turtle in Australia, are listed as endangered or critically endangered.

How fast do flatback sea turtles swim?

Sea turtles are some of the largest and most endangered turtles in the world and live in almost every ocean of the world. Their smooth shells and paddlelike flippers help them speed through the water as fast as 24 kph. These long-distance travelers have been known to swim up to 4,828 km.

What color is a flatback turtle?

pale grayish-greenFlatback Turtles. The flatback turtle is named after its flat carapace, or shell, which is unlike the curved shell of other sea turtle species. The carapace is pale grayish-green in color with the outer margins distinctly upturned.

Where do flatback turtles migrate?

The flatback migratory corridor spans 1150km along the coast of north-western Australia. In 2012 Australia established a Commonwealth Marine Reserve network, and data shows that 52 per cent of the corridor is covered by this network.

What is the largest sea turtle?

The leatherbackThe leatherback is the largest living sea turtle. Leatherback sea turtles can be distinguished from other species of sea turtle by its lack of a hard shell or scales. Instead, leatherbacks are covered with a firm, rubbery skin. You can find leatherback sea turtles as far north as Canada and the northern Pacific Ocean.

What would happen if turtles went extinct?

As the number of turtles declines, fewer eggs are laid in the beaches, providing less nutrients. If sea turtles went extinct, dune vegetation would lose a major source of nutrients and would not be healthy or strong enough to maintain the dunes, allowing beaches to wash away.

Why are turtles important to humans?

Sea turtles have played vital roles in maintaining the health of the world's oceans for more than 100 million years. These roles range from maintaining productive coral reef ecosystems to transporting essential nutrients from the oceans to beaches and coastal dunes.

Is turtle a sea animal?

There are seven species of sea turtle: the green sea turtle, Hawksbill sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, olive ridley sea turtle, Kemp's ridley sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, and flatback sea turtle. Sea turtles are among the oldest creatures on Earth and have remained essentially unchanged for 110 million years.

What food do turtles eat?

Animal food sources. Animal-based food sources for turtles can include processed pet foods like drained sardines, turtle pellets, and trout chow. You can also feed them cooked chicken, beef, and turkey. Live prey can include moths, crickets, shrimp, krill, feeder fish, and worms.

What vegetables can turtles eat?

Desirable vegetables to offer include dark leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, collard greens, mustard greens, carrot tops, endive, Swiss chard, kale, parsley, green beans, dandelion greens, turnip greens, and clover.

What do turtles need to survive?

They require a habitat with plenty of clean water for swimming as well as dry land where they can rest, hide and bask in the sun. A tank that can hold at least 40 gallons should give your pet turtle an adequate amount of room to move around in.

How often do turtles eat?

How often do turtles eat? If your turtle is still juvenile, feed it every day, advises Dr. Starkey. Once it reaches adulthood (around 7 years old), you can feed it every other day—or about 4 to 5 times a week.

What is SEE Turtles?

We're a non-profit organization that protects sea turtles through conservation travel and volunteer tours, our Billion Baby Turtles, Too Rare To Wear, & Sea Turtles & Plastic programs, our education programs, and by promoting inclusivity in the sea turtle community. Our award-winning programs help save sea turtle hatchlings on important nesting beaches around the world, work with the tourism industry to end the turtleshell trade, and get plastic out of sea turtle habitats. Learn more about our organization.

How many eggs do flatback turtles lay?

flatback turtle Facts & Tidbits. In comparison to other sea turtle species that lay 100-200 eggs per nest, this species lays an average of 50 per nest. Their eggs and hatchlings however, are proportionally larger than other species, which may aid hatchlings in evading predators.

How big is a flatback turtle?

The carapace is pale grayish-green in color with the outer margins distinctly upturned. An adult flatback weighs 200 pounds and is approximately 3 feet in length.

What is the largest reptile on earth?

Flatbacks are preyed upon by Saltwater crocodiles, the largest reptile on earth. Adult females have been observed being attacked by crocs while attempting to nest.Despite its small range and non-migratory behavior, until now this has been the least studied of the sea turtle species, perhaps due in part to the remoteness of much of their habitat.

What do flatbacks eat?

The flatback is an omnivore, feeding on a variety of prey including sea cucumbers, jellies, soft corals, shrimp, crabs, molluscs, fish, and seaweed. Learn more about their diet. They are listed as Vulnerable under the Australian Commonwealth’s Endangered Species Protection Act.

Where are flatback sea turtles found?

Their distribution is restricted to tropical regions of the continental shelf and coastal waters of Northern Australia, Southern Indonesia, and Southern Papua New Guinea.

Where do sea turtles nest?

Breeding and nesting only occur in Australia with the largest concentration of females nesting on Crab Island in the NE Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland.

How long are flatback turtle eggs?

The eggs are about 55 mm (2.2 in) long within these clutches. The sex of the flatback turtle hatchling is determined by the temperature of the sand that the egg is in. If the temperature is below 29 °C (84 °F), the hatchling will be a male, and if the temperature is above this 29 °C it will be female.

How many eggs do flatback sea turtles lay?

It will have an average of 50 eggs laid each time in a clutch, while other sea turtles may lay up to 100-150 eggs in a clutch. The eggs are about 55 mm (2.2 in) long within these clutches.

How to tell if a flatback turtle is a sea turtle?

The flatback turtle is a sea turtle that can be recognized by its smooth flat-domed shell, or carapace, which has upturned edges along the sides. It has the coloration of olive green or a mixture of grey and green. This matches the coloration of its head. The underside, also called the plastron, has a much lighter coloration of a pale yellow. The flatback sea turtle has an average carapace length ranging from 76 to 96 cm (30 to 38 in), and weighs from 70 to 90 kg (about 155 to 200 lb). The females of this species are larger than the males in adulthood and also have been found to have longer tails than their male counterparts.

What is a flatback sea turtle?

The flatback sea turtle was originally described as Chelonia depressa in 1880 by American herpetologist Samuel Garman. The genus Natator (meaning "swimmer") was created in 1908 by Australian ichthyologist Allan Riverstone McCulloch, and in the same scientific paper he described what he thought to be a new species, Natator tessellatus, thereby creating a junior synonym. In 1988 Swiss paleontologist Rainer Zangerl assigned the flatback sea turtle to the genus Natator as the new combination Natator depressus. Because Chelonia is feminine, and Natator is masculine, the specific name was changed from depressa to depressus .

What are the predators of flatback sea turtles?

Predators. The flatback sea turtle is preyed upon by both terrestrial and aquatic organisms. The terrestrial predators it must face are foxes, feral dogs, and pigs. The aquatic predators to this turtle are sharks. The hatchlings also face predation from crabs, birds, and small crocodiles on their journey to the waters.

What is a sea cucumber?

A sea cucumber, which is an organism found in the flatback sea turtle's diet.

How big is a sea turtle?

It averages from 76 to 96 cm (30 to 38 inches) in carapace length and can weigh from 70 to 90 kg (154 to 198 lb). The hatchlings, when emerging from nests, are larger than other sea turtle hatchlings when they hatch.

What is the largest reptile on Earth?

Flatbacks are preyed upon by saltwater crocodiles, the largest reptile on Earth. Adult females have been observed being attacked by these crocodiles while attempting to nest.

How many species of sea turtles are there in Sea Turtle Week?

Editor’s note: This is part of a series highlighting the seven species of sea turtles during #SeaTurtleWeek. A different species will be highlighted each day. For more information on other Sea Turtle Week activities offered by the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, please go to our website or visit us on Facebook and Instagram.

What is a flat back sea turtle?

The flatback sea turtle looks just like its name. It has a flat carapace, or shell, which is unlike the curved shell of other sea turtle species.

How big is a flatback turtle?

The flatback turtle (also called the Australian flatback) grows to about 3 feet in length and weighs about 150-200 pounds. These turtles have an olive-colored or gray carapace and pale yellow plastron (bottom shell). Their carapace is soft and often turns up at its edge.

What are the predators of flatback turtles?

Flatback turtle nest and hatchling predators include saltwater crocodiles, lizards, birds, and crabs. Once they reach the ocean, hatchlings do not go into deeper waters like other sea turtle species but stay in shallow waters along the coast.

What do flatback turtles eat?

Flatback turtles are omnivores that feed on invertebrates such as jellyfish, sea pens, sea cucumbers, crustaceans and mollusks, and seaweed.

How long do baby turtle eggs incubate?

The eggs weigh about 2.7 ounces. The eggs incubate for 48-66 days. The length of time depends on how warm the nest is, with warmer nests hatching sooner. The baby turtles weigh 1.5 ounces when they hatch and carry undigested yolk, which will nourish them during their initial time at sea.

How deep do squid nests go?

Females come ashore to lay their eggs. They dig a nest that is about 2 feet deep and lay a clutch of 50-70 eggs at one time.

Is a flatback turtle related to a green sea turtle?

Initial classification of flatback turtles led scientists to think they were related to Kemp's ridley or green sea turtles, but evidence in the 1980s led scientists to determine that they were a separate, genetically distinct species.

Who is Jennifer Kennedy?

Jennifer Kennedy, M.S., is an environmental educator specializing in marine life. She serves as the executive director of the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation.

What do flatback sea turtles eat?

There are plenty of food sources that the Flatback Sea Turtle will consume. They include mollusks, shrimp, small fish, and jellyfish . They will also consume sea grass, coral, and various types of soft bodies living organisms in their natural environment. The fact that they eat so much sea grass is very important. That helps to promote a healthier ecosystem for many other living organisms in the water.

How long are flatback sea turtles?

The name for the Flatback Sea Turtle is the result of the appearance of the shell which is flat. They are about 35 inches long and they feature four pairs of costal scales which is less than other species. They are olive gray in color and they have scales that are the front of the body by the head.

Overview

Taxonomy

Description

Distribution and habitat

Life history

Ecology

Conservation

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