Environmental & Extension Services Department - Natural Resources Division
Facts and Biology - Monitoring Efforts - Hatchling Deaths
Sea Turtles
Facts and Biology
Sea Turtle History:
Turtles have inhabited our planet for over 200 million years. Dating back to the early ages of the dinosaurs, turtles have followed a unique and successful evolutionary path that has allowed them to thrive on our planet now. Scientists have classified sixteen different orders of reptiles that have evolved in the last 310 million years. The turtles, or Testudines, are one of only four orders that have evolved in such away that they flourish in present time.
Habitat:
Sea turtles spend their entire lives in the oceans of our planet. The only time they come ashore is to lay eggs and carry on a new generation. Sea turtles can tolerate a wide range of salinities, making it possible for them to travel throughout our world’s warm-water environments.
Physiology:
Sea turtles are reptiles in a shell; their bodies are covered by a think, sturdy surface which provides protection for their soft, inner body and sensitive organs. Sea turtles must breathe air to survive. They lack gills, and have lungs just like human beings. Sea turtles have powerful jaws, useful for crushing food and sometimes defending themselves.
Diet:
Sea turtles have a wide range of foods that they like to eat. They will eat small fish, crustaceans, sponges, and most even eat jellyfish.
Species:
There are currently seven recognized species of sea turtles. They are the loggerhead (Caretta caretta), the green (Chelonia mydas), the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), the hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), the Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), the Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), and the flatback (Natador depressa).
Reproduction:
Sea turtles are amazing creatures when it comes to reproduction. Sea turtles copulate in the ocean, and then females will make a journey to the very beach that they were hatched from, and it is there that they deposit their eggs. Sea turtles will lay a clutch, or group of eggs, that on average is about 80-120 eggs, depending upon the species.
Sea Turtle Monitoring Efforts
Charlotte County ’s Department of Natural Resources would like to thank all of the volunteer sea turtle monitors who, through the donation of their time, effort, and energy, post signs and help protect the sea turtles that frequent our beaches. Thanks to these dedicated people, sea turtle populations are slowly beginning to increase, and public awareness and knowledge is being raised to a level unimaginable! If you are interested in learning how to become a volunteer sea turtle monitor, please contact Charlotte County ’s Department of Natural Resources at (941) 764-4360.
Death Sentences for Hatchlings
Beach Furniture
Why must everyone put their beach furniture up between sunset and sunrise during sea turtle nesting season? Good question! Beach furniture is a leading cause of hatchling disorientation, a psychological malfunction that can easily lead baby sea turtles to an unnatural death. When hatchlings emerge from their nests, their goal is to get to the ocean as quickly as possible. If they do not make it, predators such as birds, armadillos, and ghost crabs can easily pick them off the beach for a late-night snack. When beach furniture is obstructing the way of the baby sea turtles, it not only keeps them away from the ocean longer, but they can get “turned around” and begin crawling the wrong way.
Beach-front Lighting
Between sunset and sunrise during sea turtle nesting season, residents of Manasota Key, Boca Grande, Little Gasparilla, Don Pedro, and Palm Islands must shield their lights from the beach. Artificial lighting on the beach is the number one cause of hatchling disorientation. When baby sea turtles emerge from their nests, the lights on the beach distract them from moving in the correct direction. It is then that the hatchlings make their way towards roads, driveways, and carports where they will die by either exposure to the sun or getting run over by vehicles.
For more information
Charlotte County Environmental & Extension Services
25550 Harbor View Road, Unit 2, Port Charlotte, FL 33980
941.764.4360
