Loggerhead Turtle
With a diet consisting mainly of benthic invertebrates (gastropods, bivalves, decapods), loggerhead sea turtles are omnivorous animals.
75-100 cm long, 100-135 kg in weight.
Up to 100 years.
Least concern (IUCN, 2015)
Loggerhead turtles are one of the most iconic species of the Mediterranean Sea, as they are instrumental in maintaining the health of coral reefs and seagrass beds, while they consist one of only seven species of sea turtles on the planet.
External features
It has a large head, a very strong beak and no teeth. The shell is usually oval in shape, with dorsal plates, distinguishing them from land and freshwater turtles, which usually have dome-shaped shells. The anterior fins have two claws and the posterior fins have two or three claws.
Reproduction
Every 2-3 years, female turtles return to lay eggs on the same beaches where they were born. The nesting season starts in May and ends in October. During each breeding season, a loggerhead turtle makes 2-3 nests, laying up to 120 eggs in each. Incubation lasts for about 55 days. For every 1,000 turtles hatched, just one (1) makes it to adulthood.
Habitat
Migratory species found all over the Greek seas, far and wide. The country hosts about 60% of all the Mediterranean nests, with two Greek beaches belonging to the most important beaches for the breeding and nesting of the species in the Mediterranean (Laganas Bay, Zakynthos and South Kyparissia Gulf, Western Peloponnese).
Population in Greece
Lacking detailed data on the Greek population.
Fun Fact!
It is estimated that loggerhead turtles were present on earth before the extinction of dinosaurs, some 65 million years ago.