311 



nuchal shield six-sided; five or more pair of costal shields. 

 Intergular very small or absent; a series of inframarginal shields. 

 Limbs paddle-shaped, with one or two claws. 



Distribution. Tropical and subtropical seas. 



A single species. 



r. Caretta caretta (L.). 



Teshido caretta^ Linne, Syst. Nat. I 1766, p. 351. 



Thalassochelys caretta^ Boulenger, Cat. Chel. 1889, p. 184 (s. syn.). 



Caretta caretta^ Siebenrock, Zool. Jahrb. Suppl. X 1909, p. 549 (s. syn.). 



Carapace arched or tectiform; in young specimens with three 

 strong keels; dorsal shields juxtaposed; margin composed of 

 27, sometimes 25 shields, serrated posteriorly in the young; 

 five pair of costals or 

 more. Plastron rounded 

 anteriorly; intergular 

 shield very small or ab- 

 sent; a series of infra- 

 marginal shields. Head 

 broad and large; two pair 

 of praefrontal shields; 

 jaws strong, hooked ; man- 

 dibular symphysis very 

 long; horny sheath with 

 a median ridge on the 

 alveolar surface, jaws 

 without. Tail short. Limbs 

 flat, with two claws in the 

 young, one in the adult; 

 fore limbs long. 



Brown above, yellowish 

 beneath. Young specimens dark brown or black. Length of 

 shell 1050 mm. 



Habitat: Java (Batavia); Solor Island!; Borneo; Celebes 

 (Manado); Ambon!; Aru Islands; New Guinea (Mansinam). — 

 Malay Peninsula; Bay of Bengal; Ceylon; Philippines; N. & W. 

 Australia; Cape of Good Hope; W. Indies; Brazil; Mediter- 

 ranean; Atlantic Ocean; North Sea. 



The Loggerhead Turtle is carnivorous, feeding on crusta- 

 ceans and molluscs. 



Fig. 118. Caretta caretta (L.)]»Plastron. 



