LEATHERBACK |
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| This species
is the largest of all sea turtles, reaching up to 6 feet (2 meters) in
length and weighing around 1,650 pounds (750 kilos), and even one individual
was weighed at more than 1,900 pounds (900 kilos). Leatherbacks are black with white spots, and their shell is not hard like the other species, but soft and covered with a leathery skin - hence its name. They have big flippers, which they use to swim long distances. They live largely far out at sea, although they do come close to the coast when they must lay their eggs. They eat almost exclusively jellyfish. Very few female leatherbacks nest on beaches in Brazil. In recent years, only 7 individuals have been recorded laying eggs on the coast of Espírito Santo. |
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