Massachusetts: Barnstable, Dukes, Essex, Middle- 

 sex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth. 



Mississippi: Hancock, Harrison, Jackson. 



New 



Hampshire: Rockingham. 



New Jersey: Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, 

 Monmouth, Ocean. 



New York: Nassau, Suffolk. 



North 



Carolina: Brunswick, Carteret, Currituck, Dare, 

 Hyde, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender. 



Oregon: Clatsop, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Lane, 



Lincoln, Tillamook. 

 Rhode 

 Island: Newport, Washington. 



South 



Carolina: Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, 

 Georgetown, Horry. 



Texas: Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, 



Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, 

 Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, 

 Willacy. 



Virginia: Accomack, Gloucester, Lancaster, 



Mathews, Middlesex, Northampton, 

 Northumberland, Virginia Beach, 

 York. 



Washington: Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, 

 Pacific. 



HABITAT 



Leatherbacks are the most pelagic of the sea 

 turtles, and are often found near the edge of the 

 continental shelf. In Northern waters, they some- 

 times enter shallow estuarine bays (Deranigayala 

 1939, Pope 1939). 



FOOD AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR 



Although apparently omniverous, consuming 

 sea urchins, squid, crustaceans, tunicates, fish, 

 blue-green algae, and floating seaweed, its princi- 

 pal food is jellyfish. Deeply notched , sharp edged 

 jaws appear adapted for holding and cutting soft- 

 bodied prey. The mouth has fleshy papillae, and 

 the throat has a valve which probably assist in 

 swallowing and retaining soft-bodied prey (Prit- 

 chard 1971). 



SHELTER REQUIREMENTS 



Not known. 



NESTING OR BEDDING 



Leatherbacks require a sloping sandy beach 

 backed up by vegetation for nesting. There must 

 be sufficient slope so that the crawl to dry sand 

 is not too far. The depth of the coarse dry sand is 

 important because the female first excavates a pit 

 for her body and then must reach moist sand so 

 that she can make the proper flask-shaped nest 

 (Pritchard 1969a, Witham 1976). Preferred 

 beaches are mainland or island areas near deep 

 water and rough seas (Rebel 1974). 



Site specificity such as that displayed by the 

 green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is not apparent for 

 the leatherback. Lund (1974) suggests renesting is 

 generally greater than 7 miles from the initial nest. 



RITUAL REQUIREMENTS 



Not known. 



OTHER CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL 

 REQUIREMENTS 



Not known. 



POPULATION NUMBERS AND TRENDS 



Estimates are based on counts of nesting fe- 

 males: Trengganu (Malaya), 4,000; French Guiana, 

 15,000; Costa Rica, 1,000; Trinidad, Surinam, 

 Tongaland, and Ceylon, 200 to 400; and Jalsico 

 (Mexico) to northern Peru, 5,000. Pritchard 

 (1969b) estimates the world female breeding 

 population to be from 29,000tto 40,000. 



Lund (1974) estimates that about 25 leather- 

 back nest in Florida each year; The number of 

 females involved is uncertain. 



REPRODUCTION 



The nesting season varies per locality; Suri- 

 nam and Guyana, May to July; Costa Rica, April 

 to July; Silebache (includes French Guiana) Miy 

 to August; Trinidad, March to August; and the 

 Danish West Indies, March to May (Rebel 1974). 

 Florida nesting season is from April to August. 



Females nest at night at intervals of 2 to 3 

 years. As many as six cluches may be laid a 

 season with an average inter-nesting period of 10 

 days (Pritchard 1969a; Lund 1976) Clutches av- 

 erage 80 to 85 eggs with the last layer of eggs 

 generally abnormal. The white spherical eggs are 

 approximately 50 to 54 mm in diameter (Pope 

 1939; Lund 1976). Incubation takes from 55 to 

 74 days and emergence of the hatchlings occurs at 

 night. 



Animals mature in 6 to 10 years. Mating takes 



