LoggerHeadSeaTurtles
...a, although they never seem to ever stray too far away from land. Loggerhead Sea Turtles: Loggerhead sea turtles, scientifically named Caretta caretta, are a sub-species of sea turtles that inhabit temperate waters throughout most of the world. In the Western hemisphere, they have been found as far north as Newfoundland and as far south as Argentina1. The majority, however, originates from the coast of Florida and spends their lives in the Atlantic Ocean, circling the Sargasso Sea. This type of sea turtle dwells in fairly shallow waters, thriving of coastal bays and gulfs. The loggerhead sea turtle, known for its remarkably hefty head and powerful jaw, is generally 82-105 cm in length and may weigh up to 350 pounds. Its reddish-brown shell is typically heart-shaped and bony-looking without any ridges; its scales are sizeable and coarse but do not overlap each other. The flippers are usually short but wide and each come equipped with 2-3 large claws. Due to its strong jaw, these turtles are chiefly carnivorous, feeding off crabs, clams, mussels, shrimp, jellyfish, and other such invertebrates. Migration Patterns: The only turtles of this sub-specie to ever come ashore are the female loggerheads. After mating season, when the time comes to nest and lay their eggs, females remarkably find their way back to their natal beach, the beach where they themselves were born. Off the coast of Florida, where most of loggerheads dwell, nesting season is typically from April to October. They may nest anywhere from two up to ten times within each mating season, however, they will never nest in consecutive years. The lives of the majority of these turtles generally begin and end on the shores of eastern Florida. The loggerheadfs migration routes take them on a 12,900 kilometer circular course around the Sargasso Sea, an oval-shaped body of water located in the North Atlantic Ocean and known for its abundance of Sargasso, a type of seaweed. This lifelong voyage begins when these loggerhead turtles, barely two inches in length, surface from their underground nests and ...