Giant Leatherback Turtle

Description:

Giant Leatherback turtles are 1 of 5 of the 7 marine turtles that are endangered. They are the largest of the marine turtle species and are known to lay eggs on warm, sandy beaches.

Notes:

During January to February the females mate with the males and feed often in the waters off Nova Scotia, Canada. The nesting season which is between March to September is the period to which they are found in large numbers along the coastline of many tropical beaches, laying eggs in clutches of 80-120 in holes of approximately 2.5 - 3 feet deep. The temperature of the sand determines the sex of the turtles. Warmer sands produce more females. The female leatherbacks spend their time on land to nest and in the ocean to feed, while the males spend their entire lifetime in the ocean.