Baby leatherback turtle
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| Common name | Sea turtle,Leatherback |
| Scientific name | Dermochelys coriacea |
| Taxonomic group | Dermochelyidae |
| Source | Dan L. Perlman |
| Ecosystems | Wetlands, aquatic |
| Wetlands and aquatic | Oceans, seas |
| Selection and adaptations | Selection |
| Selection | Natural Selection |
| Organisms | Animals |
| Animals | Reptiles |
| Conservation | Endangered species |
| Lessons | Endangered species |
| Date | 1985 |
| Location | Tortuguero,Costa Rica,North America |
Newly hatched baby leatherback turtle heading for the ocean, Tortuguero, Costa Rica. This species is listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act and is considered "critically endangered" by the World Conservation Union. This young turtle has done well to survive this long, having avoided predators (including humans) while it was still an egg in the nest. If this young turtle can get across the beach and through the shallow water without getting eaten, it will spend many years at sea, feeding and growing, before it returns to mate at this beach. Natural selection has shaped the behavior of this species in many different ways. This species is listed as Federally Endangered by the USA in all of its range.
