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Loggerhead turtle

Loggerhead turtle

Appearance and lifestyle:

Loggerhead turtles are named for their large heads, which are much bigger in proportion to their bodies. They are the largest hard-shelled turtle species, weighing up to 450kg. Loggerheads attain maturity between 10 and 40 years, with an estimated maximum lifespan of 80 years.

Once they are sexually mature, loggerhead turtles undertake regular migrations between foraging grounds and nesting areas. These journeys, carried out by males and females, can span thousands of kilometres.

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A loggerhead turtle hatchling.
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Nobomvu, a female loggerhead released in 2023, is of egg-laying age. (Credit: Devin Noble-Trull)

Habitat:

In South Africa, loggerhead turtles only nest on the beaches of northern KwaZulu-Natal. They are the most common turtle in southern Africa, but have a wide distribution throughout the subtropical and temperate regions of the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans.

After entering the ocean from their natal beaches, hatchlings begin an oceanic phase referred to as "the lost years", for not much is known of this period. After several years, loggerheads will move towards richer foraging grounds in the epipelagic zone before they grow into sexual maturity.

Diet:

Loggerheads are carnivorous turtles that feed on starfish, urchins, and molluscs. Their large jaws are perfectly adapted for these hard-shelled animals.

Threats:

Loggerhead turtles are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species. Some of the primary threats to loggerhead turtles are plastic pollution,

  • Plastic pollution: Turtles often ingest plastic after mistaking it for food, or become entangled in ghost fishing gear or other pollutants.
  • Fisheries bycatch: Turtles are frequent victims of accidental capture by fishers.
  • Poaching: Nesting loggerhead females and eggs are poached for food.
  • Climate change: Turtle hatchlings' sex is determined by the temperature of the sand in which their eggs are laid. This means that, with increasing global temperatures, the sex ratios are skewing towards more female turtles.
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Loggerhead turtles use their powerful jaws to crush prey like conchs and horseshoe crabs.
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Loggerhead turtles can live for up to 80 years.
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Loggerhead turtles spend the first seven to 15 years of their lives in the open ocean.