Sea Turtles (Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae)

 

Sea Turtles (Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae)

These turtles are fully aquatic, emerging from the waters only to breed and lay eggs. In addition to huge lungs, they can also do without oxygen from the air as they submerge for up to 30 minutes. Most have hard shells; the leatherback (our only member of the Dermochelyidae Family) lacks a bony carapace and instead has skin embedded with little bony deposits over it back.

All species of sea turtles are listed as Threatened or Endangered.​​​​​​​​​

​	Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Threatened Photo courtesy of John White
​​	Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii​​) Endangered Photo courtesy of the National Park Service
​​	​Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas​​) Threatened Photo courtesy of iStock
​	Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea​​) Endangered Photo courtesy of Scott R. Benson, NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center
​​​	​Hawksbill ​Sea Turtle​ (Eretmochelys imbricata​)​ Former Name: Atlantic Hawksbill Sea Turtle Endangered Photo courtesy of iStock​