When in captivity, sea turtles should be maintained in water with a salinity level falling within a range of that of normal, natural, incoming seawater. Short periods of holding sea turtles in fresh water can be tolerated and are useful when prescribed by a veterinarian, e.g., to remove parasites and fouling epibiota such as barnacles. However, prolonged periods in fresh water should not be encouraged.

Accurate population numbers are hard to determine because turtles seldom come onto land where they can be counted. What is known is that the population of several species of sea turtles is in steep decline. The Kemp's ridley is probably the most endangered; it nests on only one beach in the world, in Mexico. The populations of loggerheads and green turtles also appear to be in trouble. See similar questions...

Do not disturb or handle any sea turtles, their eggs or their nests. All are violations of both federal and state laws. Avoid visiting the sea turtle nesting beaches at night during the summer unless you are with a guide permitted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Prevent all lights from illuminating, or being visible from, the beach including security lights, balcony and porch lights, flashlights and car headlights. See similar questions...

Hatchling sea turtles found wandering away from the ocean should be taken to a darkened portion of beach and allowed to walk into the surf on their own. Hatchlings that do not crawl vigorously can be placed in the ocean and allowed to swim away. In all cases, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Division of Law Enforcement (1-800-404-FWCC), their Bureau of Protected Species Management, or one of their local offices. See similar questions...

Sea turtles range in size from the 75–100 pound Kemp's ridley to the 1,300 pound, 8-foot-long leatherback. See similar questions...

The main nesting months run from May to October, but there are many exceptions to the rule. Leatherbacks have been known to start as early as February, and depending on water temperature, hatchlings emerge well into the winter months. See similar questions...

There are seven different species of sea turtles globally, each of which has a scientific name and a common name. The common name is often a description of some characteristic of the turtle's body. For example, the four most common species in the eastern Caribbean are: The Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata): named because of its narrow head and large beak that resembles the beak of a hawk. The Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea): this is the only sea turtle without a bony shell. See similar questions...

No. It is a commonly stated myth. The nesting process is difficult, tiring and time consuming. As sea turtles flippers are well adapted for their marine life, they are not well adapted for use on dry land, making movement clumsy. Although turtles will abandon the nesting process if they are disturbed and feel threatened, due to the effort involved, once egg laying (ovipositing) has begun, they are less likely to abandon their nest. See similar questions...

Depending on species, they may lay clutches containing on average 50-160+ eggs, and may lay more than one clutch in a season. Flatback turtles (endemic to Australian waters) lay the smallest clutches (approximately 50 eggs per clutch). Hawksbill turtles lay the largest clutches, which may contain over 200 eggs! See similar questions...

Each species feeds on a diet specific to that species. For example, Loggerheads feed mainly on hard-shelled organisms such as lobsters, crustaceans, and fish, Green turtles prefer sea grasses and Leatherbacks feed exclusively on jellyfish. Plastic bags are often mistaken by turtles for jellyfish and are eaten. Plastic may accumulate inside a turtles gut and make the turtle feel full, when in fact it is hungry, this may result in starvation. Plastic may also lead to suffocation. See similar questions...

Leatherbacks can dive to a depth of more than 1000m in search of their prey, jellyfish. The smaller species are unable to dive to such great depths. The Leatherback is adapted to deep dives because of its unique morphology. Unlike other sea turtles, the Leatherback lacks a rigid breastbone/ lower chest, allowing the chest to collapse during deep dives. See similar questions...

Both external and internal markers (tags) are used to enable the identification of a specific individual. External tags are made from metal (monel or inconel) or plastic. Internal tags are called “Passive Integrated Transponder tags” or “PIT tags”. These are microchips consisting of metal and glass. Both external and internal tags display a unique series of letters and numbers, a bar code, eg, ZA214. See similar questions...

Most sea turtle studies have focused on land when the females nest, for ease of observation. Little research has been conducted in the sea, so there is limited knowledge on their behaviour in the water. It is known that sea turtle “courtship” usually occurs offshore the nesting beach. Males approach any female turtle, and occasionally logs, and scuba divers who resemble the females! Several males compete for the same female. See similar questions...

Loggerhead turtles generally geed on both plants and animals but they are mainly carnivorous. Their diet contains various species of algae, including Sargassum weed, which as hatchlings they also utilize as a 'float'. After emerging from their nests, leaving the beach, and moving into the open sea, they drift into deeper water which carries them into the Sargassum weed. See similar questions...

All species of sea turtle are classified on the IUCN Red List as threatened or endangered. As such, it is illegal to handle them or to keep one as a pet. Specific permits (under CITES-Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species) are required to handle a sea turtle or its products and to house them legally (usually in Aquariums or Rescue Centres, which should provide adequate facilities to properly care for them). See similar questions...

Patterns of growth rates in sea turtles have been difficult to assess, mainly because of a lack of methods available to age them. Techniques have been developed more recently that estimate age from the number of growth layers of bones. The humerus, one of the forelimb bones, gives the best indicator of age as they retain the greatest number of growth layers. There are limitations using growth layers for aging. See similar questions...

In 1990, about 339,000 million gallons per day of fresh water was withdrawn from our surface and ground water sources, such as wells, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Here's the breakdown by water-use category: See similar questions...