The Sea Turtles 



swimming it is very graceful and the massive flippers are em- 

 ployed in seal-like fashion. 



The Family Chelonida:: Composed of two genera, each 

 containing two species. Detailed descriptions follow: 



THE LOGGERHEAD TURTLE 

 Thalassochelys caretia, (Linn.) 



Carapace thick and heavy, covered with large, smooth 

 shields, as is the plastron. Head very large, plated; flippers 

 plated, the front pair usually with two nails. 



The Loggerhead might possibly be confused with the Green 

 Turtle, owing to the similarity of the shells, but the larger head 

 of the former, the two nails on the front flipper and the almost 

 uniform hue of the carapace, are strong characteristics. 



Colouration. — Carapace dull, uniform brown; plastron dull 

 yellow. 



Dimensions. — The largest example examined by the writer 

 had a carapace 3 feet, 2 inches long; the animal tipped the 

 scales at 303 pounds. Records of larger specimens are not rare. 



Distribution. — Tropical and semi-tropical seas of both 

 hemispheres; an accidental wanderer along the Northern coasts. 



Habits. — Many of these turtles lay their eggs along the 

 Florida coast. The female scoops a hole in the sand, deposits 

 the eggs therein and shovels the sand back over them; she then 

 retires to the sea, paying no more attention to them. These 

 are the only times — in May and early in June, along our shores 

 — that the adult turtle leaves the water; the eggs are deposited 

 above tide-line. Six to eight weeks cover the period of incuba- 

 tion, and as the young turtles hatch they at once seek the water. 

 Their progress is seldom toward the open sea, for they have 

 little power to battle with the surf. They seek shallow inlets 

 and here find partial protection from their many enemies in 

 the shape of the larger fish and the sea birds. While very young, 

 their flippers are wing-like in motions; as the young reptile tires 

 they are folded against the upper portion of the carapace, in 

 much the same manner as a bird tucks back its wings. (See 

 accompanying illustration). The number of eggs deposited 

 is enormous; it varies from fifty to a thousand, according to 

 the size and the age of the female. 



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