Loggerhead Sea Turtle

ID points

• Head unusually large and broad, out of proportion with the body
• Shell reddish brown, with five pairs of costal scutes at the front
• Thick powerful beak, used to crush shellfish

Basics

Family

Cheloniidae

Length

80–110 cm

Depth

0-200 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic

Distribution

Warm waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific

Habitat

Warm coastal and open waters

Diet

Molluscs, crabs, jellyfish

Easily confused with

Green Sea TurtleShell scutes do not overlap, the edge is smoothHawksbill TurtleShell scutes overlap in layers like roof tilesFlatback Sea TurtleFlat shell with edges clearly turned upwards

Fun fact

The Loggerhead has one of the largest skulls of any vertebrate, and its powerful jaws crush the hard shells of conches and clams without the slightest difficulty.

More in this family

• Olive Ridley Turtle