PORT PHILLIP BAY


Loggerhead Turtle 

Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Family and species level characters:
Paddle-shaped flippers without clawed feet.
Nostrils at the end of a tubular fleshy snout.
Five or less costal shields on shell.
Three enlarged inframarginal plates underneath.

Sources:
Cogger, H. G. (2000) Reptiles and amphibians of Australia, sixth edition.
Wilson, S. K. and Swan, G. (2008) A complete guide to reptiles, second edition.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Class:
Reptilia
Subclass:
Anapsida
Order:
Testudines
Suborder:
Cryptodira
Superfamily:
Chelonioidea
Family:
Cheloniidae
Genus:
Caretta
Species:
caretta

General Description

Body and head brown, sometimes with dark patches. White to yellow underneath. Shell rounded to heart-shaped with 5 plates (costal shields) in a row either side. Young hatchlings red-brown above and black-brown below. Up to 1.5 m long.

Biology

These turtles lay about 100 eggs in sand on beaches, mainly from October to May. Their diet includes squid, crustaceans, sea urchins and jellyfish. They are not permanent residents in Victorian waters, occasionally coming south when warm ocean currents permit travel.

Habitat

Open oceans and coasts.

Open water

Distribution guide

Worldwide in tropical waters. Mainly northern Australia. Occasional visitor to Victorian coastal waters and Port Phillip.

Species Group

Reptiles Turtles

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

Surface Midwater

Max Size

1.5 m

Diet

Carnivore

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Identify

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Endangered
  • IUCN Red List : Endangered

Author

article author Patullo, B.

Blair Patullo is Online Producer for marine projects at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Patullo, B., 2011, Loggerhead Turtle, Caretta caretta, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 10 Dec 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/4167

Text: creative commons cc by licence