Common name: Loggerhead sea turtle
Scientific name: Caretta caretta
Species: Reptile
Diet: Carnivore
Conservation status: Endangered
Population estimate: Around 50,000 nesting females
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The average adult loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) grows up to 35 inches long, and weighs around 298 pounds. But baby turtles, called hatchlings, weigh only 0.05 pounds and are only around 2 inches! Their head is very large, which is where they got their name from, and it has really strong jaws. The shell is bony, with large "scales", called scutes. They have 2 claws on their front flippers, but the rear flippers can have 2 or 3 claws. They're found in the Atlantic ocean, Pacific ocean, Indian ocean, and the Mediterranean sea. Loggerhead sea turtles are mostly carnivorous and usually feed on shellfish that live on the bottom of the ocean, but they also eat horseshoe crabs, clams, mussels, and other invertebrates. They have powerful jaw muscles that help them crush the shells of their food. The female loggerheads create nests every 2 to 4 years, April through September. They make 3 to 6 nests per season, and lay an average of 100 to 126 eggs in each nest!
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