Loggerhead Sea Turtle Size

Loggerhead sea turtle is a highly interesting animal known for its brown-yellowish skin color and reddish-brown shell color. Its name is derived from its uniquely shaped head. It has big and powerful jaws, which are used to consume other marine animals such as Portuguese Man o’ War, crabs and mollusks. Furthermore, it also eats flying fishes, jellyfishes and horseshoe crabs. Because of its interesting eating habits, this species can grow differently one from the other. To understand it better, it is good to know the usual size of a loggerhead sea turtle.

What is the Usual Size of a Loggerhead Sea Turtle?

This particular kind of marine animal is reported to grow as big as 1.1 meters or 3.5 feet long. In terms of weight, a single creature under this particular species can weigh up to 364 kilograms or 800 pounds. The average length of this uniquely interesting animal is somewhere around 31 inches to 49 inches. Additionally, the average weight stands somewhere between 170 pounds to 315 pounds.

Additional Information and Other Interesting Details

In terms of habitat, this marine creature can survive in ship channels, creeks and salt marshes. Additionally, it is also reported to inhabit the mouths of large rivers, lagoons and bays. During feeding time, this animal spends a lot of time in shipwrecks, rocky places as well as coral reefs. Way before it was internationally protected, it was generally hunted for its eggs and meats. In addition, its fat was once a common component of medications and cosmetics.

Because of rapid decline in the population of loggerhead sea turtles, people conduct conservation efforts to save them from impending harm and danger. Today, crab fishing nets and shrimp trawls remain as threats. In some cases, deaths are reported due to fishing hooks and speedboat propellers. Some of the known nesting grounds for this particular type of turtle are Costa Rica, Greece and Turkey. It is also found in various locations in Italy like Calabria, Sicily as well as the islands of Linosa and Lampedusa. Other notable nesting grounds for this interesting marine creature are Alagadi Beach and Akamas, both of which are found in Cyprus.

Today, some of the laws governing this type of turtle include the Nature Conservation Act of 1992 in Queensland as well as the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999 in the whole of Australia. The mating season starts from the closing days of March all the way until the early parts of June. In the United States, this animal is found in different locations such as Florida, North Carolina and Texas.