The maximum weight of a leatherback turtle. Leatherback turtle (lat. Dermochelys coriacea). Pictured is a sea leatherback turtle
Turtles are one of the most unpretentious and unusual pets. But, in nature, there are representatives of this species, which surprise with their impressive size.
One of the largest is the aquatic representative of this species - leatherback turtle. This is one of the largest reptiles on the planet. The leatherback turtle is called by another name- gigantic.
The nature and lifestyle of the leatherback turtle
This huge and delightful waterfowl can reach up to several meters in length, and weigh from 300 kilograms to a ton. Her carapace is not connected to the main skeleton, like the rest of her brethren.
The structure is such that the density of her body is equal to the density of water - thanks to this, she moves freely in the ocean spaces. The width of the open flippers, leatherback turtle, can be as much as five meters!
The wide open flippers of a leatherback turtle can reach 5 meters.
The head is so large that the animal is not able to pull it into the shell. For that, this reptile boasts excellent eyesight. They have huge front paws and beautiful light spots scattered throughout the body. These reptiles are simply amazing with their size!
Due to the significant size advantage of the forelimbs, they are the main driving force for the turtle, while the hind legs act as guides. The shell of a leatherback turtle can withstand a huge weight - up to two hundred kilograms, more than its own. In addition, it has a different structure that distinguishes it from the shells of its fellows.
It does not consist of horny plates, but of a very thick and dense layer of skin. In addition, over time, the layer of the skin becomes very coarse and creates ridges throughout the body.
Features and habitat of the leatherback turtle
in some places leatherback turtle habitat, you can name the warm waters of the three tropical oceans: Indian, Atlantic and Pacific. But there were also cases that they were observed in the waters of temperate latitudes, for example, on the shores of the Far East.
These reptiles may well live in the northern latitudes. Since they are able to regulate the thermal regime. But for this large leatherback turtle much more food is needed. The element of the leatherback turtle is water. All the time these animals spend in the water, they go out on land only when necessary, yes - to lay eggs, and thereby prolong their genus.
And also during active hunting, to take a sip of air. In a drifting state sea leatherback turtle can stay out of the water for hours. Leathery, can be considered a loner animal, she does not really welcome communication with her fellows.
Pictured is a sea leatherback turtle
Despite the fact that it is impressive in size, you might think that it is clumsy and slow, but the leatherback turtle can swim very long distances and develop sprint speed.
And only occasionally go to land to lay eggs there. While on land, of course, she is not very fast, but while in the water, she is just a super swimmer and an unsurpassed hunter.
The leatherback turtle can be repeatedly attacked and hunted by marine predators. But it is not so easy to deal with her, she will defend herself to the last. Using huge paws and strong jaws.
In addition, she has a very sharp beak, with which she is able to cope even with. It is rare for any of the marine inhabitants to be lucky enough to overcome this strong animal.
Leatherback turtle food
Feeds, the leatherback turtle, mainly a variety of cephalopods, can snack on seaweed, and numerous types of crustaceans.
But of course, the favorite food for leatherback turtles are. In order to get their own food, they have to swim to a considerable depth, up to 1000 meters.
Having caught the prey, they bite it with their beak and immediately swallow it. Moreover, the prey has practically no chance of salvation, since all leatherback turtle mouth up to the intestines is covered with spikes similar to stalactites.
Reproduction and lifespan of the leatherback turtle
Males differ from females in a longer tail and a narrower shell structure in the back. Numerous studies have shown that in certain areas of the ocean coasts, large leatherback turtles come to nest in groups.
For example, more than a hundred clutches of these turtles have been recorded off the coast of Mexico. Although laying eggs in groups is not the norm for leatherback turtles, they may well nest alone. . Leatherback turtles are ready to breed every 2-3 years, and can lay a clutch of up to a hundred eggs.
But of course, not all newborn turtles will be lucky enough to survive. Too many predators are not averse to eating them. Only a few lucky ones are able to reach the coveted ocean unscathed, where they will find themselves in relative safety.
Pictured is a leatherback turtle's nest
Leatherback turtles make their clutches in the sand near the coastline. They carefully select a place and with their large powerful paws they dig a place for laying eggs, after producing future offspring, the turtle carefully levels the sand in order to somehow protect their little children.
In depth, the masonry can reach up to one and a half meters. This is normal given the number of eggs and their size. The diameter of one egg is up to five centimeters. Nature has provided for turtles some cunning trick, large eggs with small turtles, the female lays in the depths of the masonry, and lays small and empty ones on top.
And interestingly, when the sea leatherback turtle is ready to become a mother again, she returns to the same place where she nested last time. The egg is protected by a thick, tough skin shell.
In a season, under favorable conditions, a leatherback turtle can produce six such clutches, but there should be intervals of about ten days between them. The sex of the babies is determined by the thermal regime inside the nest. If the weather is cool, then males are obtained, and if it is warm, then females.
Pictured is a baby leatherback turtle
The little turtles will see the world in about two months. As mentioned above, they are vulnerable, and are easy prey for predators. The main thing for new turtles is to get to the treasured water.
Those few individuals who are lucky enough to get to the ocean will have to eat plankton at first. Gradually, in the process of growing up, they will begin to snack on small jellyfish.
They do not grow very fast, and in one year they grow only twenty centimeters. To full maturity leatherback turtles inhabit in the upper warm layers of water. Under favorable conditions, leatherback turtles can live up to 50 years.
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The main places of masonry
Other known masonryTurtles are one of our favorite pets. But these cute creatures have relatives whose size and appearance are simply amazing. The largest representative of these animals is the leatherback turtle. This aquatic inhabitant belongs to the order of turtles and is part of the leatherback turtle family.
What does a leatherback turtle look like and why is it so named?
This giant waterfowl grows to an incredible size: its shell reaches two meters in length, and this animal weighs up to 600 kilograms. When the turtle spreads its front flippers, the width of their span is 5 meters! And all this is a leatherback turtle.
The shell of this turtle makes it special among all its fellows in the order, because it does not consist of horny plates, but of a very thick layer of skin. The skin, in turn, becomes very coarse and forms several ridges running along the body of the animal. There are, on average, 12 such scallops: 5 on the belly and 7 on the back.
The leathery shell is colored black-brown or dark brown.
Where does the leatherback turtle live?
The places of her residence can be considered the warm tropical waters of the three oceans: Indian, Atlantic and Pacific. Sometimes it enters waters located in temperate latitudes. Cases are described when this giantess was met off the coast of the Russian Far East and near the Kuril Islands.
How does an animal behave in nature?
Her element is water. The leatherback turtle spends all the time swimming, only occasionally going out to land to lay eggs there. He leads a rather modest and solitary lifestyle. The leatherback turtle swims very long distances. Its speed in the water is quite high, despite the massive body and external sluggishness. It is only on land that she is clumsy, and in the water world the turtle instantly turns into a clever hunter and an excellent swimmer.
The leatherback turtle is an inhabitant of the deep sea. The only thing she has to go to land for is breeding. If the leatherback turtle is attacked by marine predators, then it immediately begins to defend itself, using its huge strong paws and jaws.
What does a leatherback turtle eat?
Its diet includes fish, numerous representatives of crustaceans, algae, jellyfish and all kinds of mollusks.
Reproduction of leatherback turtles and their offspring
The researchers note that in some areas of the ocean coasts, these turtles make real nests. Such places include the coast of Mexico, West Malaysia, French Guiana. But these giant ocean dwellers can lay eggs singly, not just in groups.
Female leatherback turtles bury their egg clutches in the sand along the coastline. To do this, with their huge paws, they dig holes, the depth of which reaches one meter. This is not surprising given the size of the eggs and their number. One female is able to lay 85 pieces at a time. The size of a turtle egg is about 6 centimeters. It is sheathed with a durable layer of leather. A female leatherback turtle can make up to 6 such clutches during the breeding season. Between the previous and subsequent laying of eggs, 10 days pass.
Little turtles are born from eggs after two months. They are quite defenseless and can become easy prey for insidious predators. The first thing that newborn babies do is go to the aquatic environment; they do not linger on land.
Are leatherback turtles in danger of extinction or extinction?
The meat of these animals is suitable for human consumption. That is why a person has long been conducting a massive capture of these turtles. In addition to the meat part of the animal, turtle fat is of value. It is used in small shipbuilding and other economic purposes.
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A characteristic feature of turtles is the presence of a shell, the upper part of which is called the carapace, and the lower part is called the plastron, they are connected to each other by bony bridges. The carapace consists of about 50 bones, developed from the ribs, spine, and skin elements. The plastron is formed from the clavicles, interclavicular bones and abdominal ribs.
The bone shell is covered with a layer of keratin sheets called scutes, the pattern of which does not repeat the pattern of the underlying bones, that is, the junctions of the scutes do not correspond to bone sutures. Both the bones of the shell and the scutes are able to recover (regenerate). New shields appear in turtles during a period of intensive growth. In some species, the scutes form annular growth zones, which can be used to approximately determine the age of the animal. This method is not completely reliable, requires experience, and is most reliable in temperate tortoises. In aquatic species, for example, scutes may molt several times in one year, which also results in ring formation, but may not be an indicator of age. Consistent growth in captivity is common, and growth zones may be flattened. Thus, contrary to popular belief, it is impossible to accurately determine the age of a turtle by the number of so-called "annual rings".
There are different types of shells. The shell bones of leathery, soft-bodied, and two-clawed turtles are reduced, and the scutes are replaced by hard skin. Most newborn tortoises have holes between the bones of the carapace, which close with age in most but remain in some species, such as elastic turtles.
The shell of many species of turtles is equipped with hinges, for example, box turtles.
When calculating the doses of drugs, some doctors take away 33-66% of body weight, attributing it to the shell. However, since the bones are metabolically active, this practice is not justified from a physiological point of view.
Another characteristic feature of turtles is that the belts of the thoracic and pelvic limbs are located inside the costal cage. The vertical arrangement of the limb belts strengthens the carapace and provides a strong base for the femur and humerus.
With few exceptions, the bones of the limbs themselves are similar to those of other vertebrates. The elongated toes of some marine and freshwater species aid them in swimming.
Retraction of the head and neck is provided by powerful muscles. The muscles that run from the shoulder and pelvic girdle to the plastron are also well developed, they are even visible on x-rays.
Turtle skin
The skin of turtles can be smooth or covered with scales. Representatives of the family of land turtles (Testudinidae) have the thickest skin. The thickness of the skin is taken into account when choosing the injection site, usually trying to choose places with the least amount of scales. Like all reptiles, the skin of turtles periodically sheds, leaving in pieces, which is especially noticeable in aquatic turtles.
Respiratory system of turtles
Due to the hard shell, the process of breathing in turtles proceeds differently than in other vertebrates with a mobile chest. Turtles inhale and exhale through their nostrils, mouth breathing is a sign of pathology. The glottis is located at the root of the tongue. In tortoises, the trachea is relatively short and quickly branches into two main bronchi, which open into the lungs. The location of the bifurcation of the trachea close to the head allows turtles to breathe freely with the head pulled inside the shell. The lungs attach dorsally (above) to the carapace and ventrally (below) to a membrane associated with the liver, stomach, and intestines. Turtles do not have a true diaphragm separating the lungs from the abdominal organs. The lungs are large, segmented, sac-like structures that look like a sponge. The surface of the lungs is dotted with bands of smooth muscle and connective tissue. Despite the fact that the volume of the lungs is large, their respiratory surface is much smaller than that of mammals. The large volume of the lungs allows aquatic turtles to use them as an organ of buoyancy.
Many structures are involved in respiration. Antagonist muscles significantly increase or decrease the volume of the body cavity, and hence the lungs. This is done with the help of movements of the limbs and head. Turtles, like amphibians, are able to inflate their throats, but unlike the latter, they do this not when breathing, but for the purpose of smelling.
In submerged caiman turtles, inhalation is an active process, while exhalation is passive, occurring as a result of hydrostatic pressure. On land, the opposite is true. Turtles do not have negative pressure in the chest, so open shell fractures, even if the lungs are visible in the fracture, do not lead to respiratory depression. Natural evacuation of foreign bodies from the lungs is difficult in turtles compared to mammals. So, they have no ciliated epithelium in the lungs, the bronchi are poorly drained, they are segmented and have large cavities, and the absence of a muscular diaphragm makes it impossible to cough. As a result, pneumonia in turtles is difficult to treat and is often fatal. In pond, caiman, and side-necked turtles, the cloacal bursa provides respiration during hibernation under water. The Nile soft-bodied turtle (Tryonyx triunguis) receives 30% of its oxygen through vascularized papillae in the throat and the rest through the skin.
Many Australian species are able to consume oxygen through the cloacal bursa, allowing them to stay submerged for long periods of time, which is important during hibernation. The record holder for breathing through the cloaca is Fitzroy's tortoise (Rheodytes leukops), which can draw in and eject water from the cloaca 15-60 times per minute. This breathing keeps turtles alive during the dormant period, however, in the active stage they need oxygen from the air. Turtles are capable of prolonged breath holding, which makes gas anesthesia impossible without premedication and intubation.
Turtle gastrointestinal tract
The tongue of turtles is large and thick and does not protrude from the mouth, as in snakes and turtles. Most of the land turtles are herbivores, among the aquatic turtles there are herbivores and carnivores.
Turtles have no teeth, they tear off pieces of food with the help of a scissor-shaped beak, or ramfoteka. In captivity, ramfoteka has to be cut periodically, and a lack of calcium in the diet can cause its irreversible deformation. The salivary glands produce mucus that helps swallow food but does not contain digestive enzymes. Aquatic species eat underwater. The esophagus runs along the neck. Probing the esophagus in large turtles is easier with the head fully extended from the shell, but it will be harder to open the mouth in this beam, so when probing, when possible, place a plastic tube into the esophagus without pulling the head out of the shell.
The stomach lies on the lower left and has the esophageal and pyloric sphincters. The small intestine is relatively short (compared to mammals), weakly contracting, and processes of absorption of nutrients and water take place in it. Digestive enzymes are produced in the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, and liver. The pancreas is a pale orange-pink organ that may be associated with the spleen and is connected to the duodenum by a short duct and performs endocrine and exocrine functions similar to those of mammals.
The liver of turtles is a large saddle-shaped oran located directly below the lungs. It consists of two main lobes, between which the gallbladder is located, and also has recesses for the heart and stomach. The liver is dark red in color, pigmented with melanin in some species. A pale yellowish brown shade is not normal. The small and large intestines are connected by the ileocercal valve. The caecum is poorly developed. The large intestine is the main site of microbial digestion in herbivorous turtles. The rectum ends in the cloaca.
The transit time of food through the gastrointestinal tract depends on many factors, including temperature, feeding frequency, and the percentage of water and fiber in the diet. Under natural conditions, the transit time is longer than in captivity. Metoclopramide, cisapride and erythromycin do not affect the rate of passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract of turtles.
Urogenital system of turtles
The kidneys in turtles are metanephric, located in the back of the body behind the acetabulum (in most marine species, in front of the acetabulum).
Reptiles are unable to concentrate urine, presumably as a result of the absence of Henle's petio. Soluble nitrogenous breakdown products, such as ammonia and urea, require large amounts of water for excretion, which can only be easily provided in aquatic and semi-aquatic species. Land tortoises do not produce as much water-soluble nitrogen waste, replacing it with insoluble nitrogenous waste, such as uric acid and urate. This complicates the diagnosis of kidney diseases in turtles by standard methods for mammals, based on the determination of urea nitrogen and creatinine in the blood. Serum uric acid levels may increase with kidney disease in turtles, but may remain unchanged.
Unlike other reptiles, turtles have urogenital tracts that open into the bladder neck rather than into the cloacal urodeum. The bladder is bilobed with a very thin wall. Land tortoises use the bladder as a reservoir for water. Water can be absorbed in the cloaca, rectum and bladder, which must be taken into account when prescribing drugs that are excreted through the kidneys.
Paired sex glands are located in front of the kidneys. Fertilization is internal. The upper part of the oviduct secretes the protein for the egg, while the lower part secretes the shell. In male turtles, the penis is unpaired, large, pigmented. In a calm state, it lies in the lower part of the cloaca and does not participate in the excretion of urine. In an excited state, it is removed from the cloaca, and on it you can see a trough designed for transporting sperm. The penis of turtles does not screw in, as in snakes and lizards.
The circulatory system of turtles
Turtles have a three-chambered heart with two atria and one ventricle. While this arrangement may involve mixing oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and oxygen-poor blood from internal organs, in fact, the rows of muscle ridges and the periodicity of ventricular contractions prevent this.
The right atrium receives oxygen-poor blood from the systemic circulation through the venous sinus, a large vascular chamber on the dorsal (facing the carapace) surface of the atrium. The wall of the sinus venosus is muscular, but not as thick as that of the atrium. Blood enters the sinus venosus from four veins:
- right anterior vena cava
- left anterior vena cava
- posterior vena cava
- left hepatic vein
The ventricle itself is divided into three subchambers: pulmonary, venous and arterial. The pulmonary chamber is the lowest part of the ventricle of the turtle heart, it reaches the opening of the pulmonary artery. The arterial and venous cavities are located above it and receive blood from the left and right atrium, respectively. From the venous cavity in front and behind depart the left and right aortic arches.
The muscular ridge to some extent separates the pulmonary cavity from the arterial and venous. The arterial and venous cavities are connected by an intraventricular canal.
Unicuspid atrioventricular valves partially cover the intraventricular canal during atrial systole, and during ventricular systole they prevent the backflow of blood from the ventricle into the atria.
Functionally, the circulatory system of turtles is dual in nature, which is achieved by a series of muscle contractions and successive changes in pressure. Contraction (systole) of the atria sends blood into the ventricle. The position of the atrioventricular valves in the intraventricular canal leads to the fact that blood from the systemic circle through the right atrium is directed to the pulmonary and venous cavities. At the same time, blood from the lungs from the left atrium enters the arterial cavity. Ventricular systole is caused by contraction of the venous cavity. Successive contractions of the venous and lung cavities cause blood to flow from them into the pulmonary circulation, which is an area of low pressure.
After systole, the arterial cavity begins to contract. Blood enters through the partially reduced venous cavity into the systemic circulation through the right and left aortic arches. Blood does not enter the lung cavity, because as a result of contraction of the ventricle, the muscular ridge comes into contact with its ventral wall and thereby creates a barrier. The right and left atrioventricular valves prevent blood flow from the ventricle to the atria.
The described mechanism occurs only during normal breathing, when a shunt is created from left to right based on the pressure difference in the turtles' heart chambers. During diving, when the pressure in the lungs increases, the shunt works from right to left. Thus, during normal breathing in red-eared turtles, 60% of the blood ejected by the heart enters the lungs and only 40% enters the systemic circulation. When diving, pulmonary circulation is reduced, and most of the blood enters the systemic circulation.
Like other reptiles, there is a portal system of the kidneys. Its significance for the pharmacokinetics of drugs has not been studied, however, it is recommended to administer potentially nephrotoxic substances in the anterior half of the body.
The largest on the entire earthly planet is considered leatherback turtle. This creature belongs to the tortoiseshell order, the class of reptiles. This representative of the tortoiseshell has no relatives in the genus.
Large leatherback turtle such one. There are her relatives from sea turtles, who are somewhat similar to her, but these similarities are minimal, which further emphasizes the uniqueness of this creation of nature.
In appearance sea leatherback turtle quite a cute and charming creature. Initially, it may even seem harmless. This lasts exactly until her mouth opens.
In this case, a frightening picture opens up to the eye - a mouth consisting of more than one row of sharp teeth resembling a razor. Such a spectacle can not be seen in every carnivore. Stalactite teeth completely cover her mouth, esophagus and intestines.
Character and lifestyle
This largest turtle in the world inspires fear with its huge size alone. Its shell is over 2 meters long. This miracle of nature weighs about 600 kg.
There are no claws on the front flippers of the turtle. The span of flippers reaches up to 3 meters. The heart-shaped shell is crowned with crests. There are 7 of them on the back, 5 on the belly. The head of the turtle is large. The turtle does not pull it under the shell, as almost all other turtles do.
The horny part on the top of the jaw is decorated on both sides with two large teeth. The shell is painted in dark colors with brown or brown hues. The ridges located along the turtle's body and on the edge of the flippers are yellow.
There are some differences between males and females of these reptiles. The carapace of males is more narrowed towards the rear, they also have a slightly longer tail. Newborn turtles are covered with plates that disappear after a few weeks of their life. Young individuals are all covered with yellow spots.
Of all the reptiles, leatherback turtles are the third largest in the world in terms of parameters. Despite their intimidating appearance, these turtles are pretty cute creatures that feed mostly on jellyfish.
The turtle reaches this size because of its large appetite. Every day she eats a large amount of food, which translates into incredible calories, exceeding survival rates by 6-7 times.
Another name for a turtle gigantic. Her shell not only helps the reptile to move without problems in the expanses of water, but also serves as an excellent means for self-preservation for her. Today it is not only one of the largest reptiles, it is the heaviest. Sometimes there are turtles weighing more than a ton.
The turtle uses all four limbs to move in the water. But their functions in the reptile are different. The forelimbs act as the main engine of this powerful creature.
Turtles use their hind legs to control their movement. The leatherback turtle is excellent at diving underwater. In case of danger from potential enemies, the turtle can dive into the depths of 1 km.
In the water, despite their impressive size, leatherback turtles move smoothly and gracefully. What can not be said about her movement on land, there it is slow and clumsy. The leatherback turtle prefers to live alone. This is not a herd creature. Finding these secretive creatures is a very difficult task.
There are times when, due to its impressive size, it is difficult for a turtle to retreat from its possible enemy. Then the reptile enters the fray. The front limbs and strong jaws are used, capable of biting a large tree.
For adult turtles, it is more acceptable to be in the open ocean, they are born precisely for this life. Turtles are big fans of travel. They can overcome simply unrealistically long distances, about 20,000 km.
In the daytime, the reptile prefers to be in deep waters, but at night it can be seen on the surface. This behavior largely depends on the behavior of jellyfish - the main source of energy for reptiles.
The body of this amazing creature is in a constant, almost unchanged temperature regime. This property is possible only thanks to its good nutrition.
This reptile is considered the fastest reptile in the entire universe. It can reach speeds of about 35 km / h. This record was included in the Guinness Book of Records. Adult leatherback turtles have incredible strength. The leatherback turtle is active 24 hours a day.
Features and habitat
The habitat of the leatherback turtle is in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. It can be seen on the shores of Iceland, Labrador, Norway, the British Isles. Alaska and Japan, Argentina, Chile, Australia and some territories are the habitats of the leatherback turtle.
The water element for this reptile is home. Her whole life is spent in the water. The only exception is the breeding season of turtles. As such, turtles have no enemies due to their large size. No one dares to offend or feast on such a huge creature. People eat the meat of these reptiles. There were cases of poisoning with their meat.
It is possible to meet leatherback turtles less and less. This is due to the fact that places for laying their eggs are becoming less and less every day due to human activity.
More and more coasts of the seas and oceans, in which leatherback turtles are accustomed to live due to mass tourism and the construction of various entertainment facilities, resort areas on them, are becoming not entirely suitable for the normal life of these mammals.
Moreover, such a deplorable situation is observed in many countries. The government of some of them, in order to save the turtles from extinction, create protected areas, which help these amazing creatures to survive.
Often, plastic bags thrown into the sea are mistaken for turtles and consumed. This in many cases leads to their death. And people are trying to fight this phenomenon.
Nutrition
The main and favorite food of these mammals are jellyfish of different sizes. The mouth of leatherback turtles is designed in such a way that the victim that got there is simply not able to get out.
Many times, fish and crustaceans were found in the stomach of turtles. But, according to scientists, to a greater extent, they get there purely by chance along with jellyfish. In search of food, these reptiles can travel enormous distances.
Reproduction and lifespan
Turtles lay eggs at different times. It depends on the climatic conditions of a particular region. In order to do this, the female has to come out of the water and nest above the high tide line.
She does this with her hind limbs. With them, she digs a deep hole, sometimes reaching more than 1 meter. The female lays 30-130 eggs in this egg storage. On average, there are about 80 of them.
After the eggs are laid, the turtle covers them with sand, tamping it well at the same time. Such security measures save reptile eggs from possible predators, who can easily get their own green turtle eggs.
Turtles have 3-4 such clutches per year. The vitality of small turtles is striking, which, after being born, need to make their own way in the sand to a depth of 1 meter.
On the surface, they may be in danger in the form of predatory animals that are not averse to feasting on babies. As a result, not all newborn reptile cubs manage to get to the ocean without problems. An interesting fact is that females return to the same place for repeated laying.
The sex of babies born depends on the temperature regime. At cold temperatures, males are most often born. With warming, more females appear.
The incubation period of eggs is 2 months. The main task for newborn babies is their transition to water. At this time, their food is plankton until they meet jellyfish on the way.
The growth of small turtles is not so fast. They add only 20 cm per year. Until they grow up leatherback turtles live on top of the water layer, where there are more jellyfish and warmer. The average life expectancy of these reptiles is about 50 years.