Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta)

Kingdom: Animalia

Class: Reptilia

Order: Testudines

Family: Cheloniidae

Listing Status:    and  

Quick links:Federal RegisterRecoveryCritical HabitatConservation PlansPetitionsLife HistoryOther Resources

General Information

Loggerheads were named for their relatively large heads, which support powerful jaws and enable them to feed on hard-shelled prey, such as whelks and conch. The carapace (top shell) is slightly heart-shaped and reddish-brown in adults and sub-adults, while the plastron (bottom shell) is generally a pale yellowish color. The neck and flippers are usually dull brown to reddish brown on top and medium to pale yellow on the sides and bottom. Mean straight carapace length of adults in the southeastern U.S. is approximately 36 in (92 cm); corresponding weight is about 250 lbs (113 kg).

Population detail

The FWS is currently monitoring the following populations of the Loggerhead sea turtle 

• Population location: 
  Listing status:  Threatened
  
  • States/US Territories in which this population is known to occur:  Alabama , American Samoa , California , Connecticut , Delaware , Florida , Georgia , Guam , Hawaii , Louisiana , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts , Mississippi , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York , North Carolina , Northern Mariana Islands , Oregon , Puerto Rico , Rhode Island , South Carolina , Texas , Virgin Islands , Virginia
  • USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:  ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , ARCHIE CARR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BACK BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BLACKBEARD ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BON SECOUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE BRETON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CAPE ROMAIN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CEDAR KEYS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CHASSAHOWITZKA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CHINCOTEAGUE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CURRITUCK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , DELTA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , EASTERN SHORE OF VIRGINIA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , EGMONT KEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , ELIZABETH ALEXANDRA MORTON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , FISHERMAN ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , HOBE SOUND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , KEY WEST NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , LAGUNA ATASCOSA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , LOWER SUWANNEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , MERRITT ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , OYSTER BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , PASSAGE KEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , PEA ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , PELICAN ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , PINELLAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , ST. MARKS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , ST. VINCENT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , TARGET ROCK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , VIEQUES NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , WASSAW NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , WERTHEIM NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , WOLF ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE  ... Show All Refuges
    
  • Countries in which the this population is known to occur:  Albania , Algeria , Angola , Australia , Bahamas , Bahrain , Bangladesh , Belize , Brazil , British Virgin Islands , Cape Verde , Cayman Islands , China , Colombia , Costa Rica , Cuba , Cyprus , Dominican Republic , Egypt , Eritrea , France , Greece , Grenada , Guadeloupe , Guatemala , Haiti , Honduras , Indonesia , Israel , Italy , Jamaica , Japan , Lebanon , Libya , Madagascar , Mexico , Montserrat , Morocco , Mozambique , Namibia , New Caledonia , Nicaragua , Oman , Palau , Panama , Papua New Guinea , Philippines , Saint Lucia , Senegal , South Africa , Spain , Sri Lanka , Tunisia , Turkey , Turks and Caicos Islands , Uruguay , Venezuela , Yemen
  • For more information:  http://www.fws.gov/northflorida
• Population location: North Pacific population
  Listing status:  Under Review
  
• Population location: Western North Atlantic population
  Listing status:  Under Review
  

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» Critical Habitat

To learn more about critical habitat please see http://criticalhabitat.fws.gov

» Conservation Plans

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» Life History

No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.

» Other Resources

NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.