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Sea Turtle Comparisons
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Comparisons between the eight marine turtle species. There is a table of facts and a measuring exercise.

Sea Turtle size measuring exercise:
Sea Turtle comparisons - Size
Sea Turtle comparisons - Reproduction (nesting,eggs and hatchlings)
Sea Turtle comparisons - Reproduction (incubation & sex determining temperatures)


Sea Turtle comparisons - size.
Sea Turtle comparisons - size
Species Female Carapace length (cm)
Mean (cm) Standard deviation Number of populations included
Leatherback 148.7 1.7 11
Green turtle 99.1 1.9 22
Black turtle approx. 72.0 - -
Flat turtle 90.7 0.9 6
Kemps ridley 64.6 1
Olive ridley 66 1.1 8
Hawksbill 78.6 1.7 15
Loggerhead 87 1.6 18
Based on information from Hirth, Miller, Dodd and Van Buskirk and Crowther
These refernences can be found at the end of Chapter 3 in "The Biology of Sea Turtles" by Lutz and Musick.

Sea Turtle comparisons - Reproduction (nesting,eggs and hatchlings)
Sea Turtle comparisons - reproduction
Species Clutch frequency Renest interval Remigration Clutch size Egg wt. Egg diameter Egg vol. Hatchling wt.
clutches/season mean days years no. of eggs g mm cc g
Leatherback 6.17 9.5 2.28 81.5 75.9 53.4 79.7 44.4
Green turtle 2.93 12 2.86 112.8 46.1 44.9 45.8 24.6
Black turtle 2.8 ? 2.2 70 ? ? ? ?
Flat turtle 2.84 16 2.65 52.8 51.4 51.5 70.8 39.3
Kemps ridley 1.8 20-28 1.5 110 30 38.9 30.8 17.3
Olive ridley 2.21 17 1.7 109.9 35.7 39.3 31.8 17
Hawksbill 2.74 14.5 2.9 130 26.6 37.8 28.7 14.8
Loggerhead 3.49 14 2.59 112.4 32.7 40.9 36.2 19.9
Based on information from Hirth, Miller, Dodd and Van Buskirk and Crowther
These refernences can be found at the end of Chapter 3 in "The Biology of Sea Turtles" by Lutz and Musick.

Sea Turtle comparisons - Reproduction (incubation and sex determining temperatures)
Sea turtle Comparisons - incubation and pivotal temp
Species Incubation time Pivotal temperature (1:1) more females if hotter
(days) degrees C
Leatherback 50-70 29-29.95
Green turtle 48-70 28.6
Black turtle 46-62 no data
Flat turtle 47-58 no data
Kemps ridley 47-75 29.0
Olive ridley 46-65 29.13 upto 30
Hawksbill 47-75 29.32
Loggerhead 56-80 28.74 upto 30

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