Loggerhead Sea Turtles can grow up to 800 lbs and 3 1/2 feet in length.
Although they’re so large for a marine reptile, they glide through the waters of the world as weightless and elegant as ballerinas!
Their shells are a reddish brown and skin is yellowish brown.
They like to eat mollusks, fish, jellyfish, crustaceans including crab, shrimp and the Portuguese Man O’ War…It is one of the only animals in the world that is immune to the man o’ war’s toxin.
What’s Cool About Them?
Female Loggerheads will go back to the same beach where they were born and lay their clutch there. Neat!
Also, most Loggerheads that actually reach adulthood will live for longer than 30 years and some up to almost 200 years! Wow…That’s amazing! There are some Loggerheads out there that were born in 1811.
Conservation Status:
Unfortunately, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle is Endangered!
Why?
They were once hunted for their meat and eggs to eat, their fat for cosmeceuticals, and their shell to make combs and trinkets, but less of this is going on nowadays.
However, shrimp and crab trawling nets are the main danger that puts the Loggerhead turtle in peril!
Furthermore, they are getting hit, more and more, by speedboat propellers in recreation areas, and they’re swallowing fish hooks left in the water and causing them pain and could cause internal problems or prevent them from being able to eat!
Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Family: Cheloniidae
Genus: Caretta
Species: C. caretta
If you’re interested in helping to save Loggerhead Sea Turtles, check out SaveSeaTurtles.org.
Be sure to check out how to Adopt a Sea Turtle!
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I hope you enjoy this Turtle post on Exotic Animal Lover during Great Barrier Reef Month! Until next time…
Live Exotically,
Kimberly Edwards 
P.S. Get a medium Loggerhead Turtle model…Great to educate children about the importance of animals and instill a love for them:
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