Wild Florida Photo
Nature Photography by Paul Rebmann
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Caretta caretta
LOGGERHEAD
Florida native
Threatened Florida species
U.S. Threatened species
Loggerheads are the most common sea turtle in Florida. They mate in the shallow waters off the coast then come ashore to lay eggs in the dunes above the high tide line. The nesting season starts in May and continues through the summer. The eggs incubate in the sand for about 45-60 days before the hatchlings emerge and crawl to the sea. Both the laying and hatching usually occur at night, however the photo here of an adult turtle is one that came ashore during the day. She wandered around the beach crowded with people for a little while before returning to the ocean without laying any eggs. Another photo shows the tracks on the beach of a loggerhead turtle that came ashore to lay her eggs. The hatchling pictured here apparently decided to beat the rush, and come out alone before its nestmates. Usually most of the hatchlings emerge from the sand nest all at once and typically number around a hundred. The juvenile probably hatched earlier in the season and was rescued after washing ashore during rough seas. In Flagler and Volusia Counties the volunteers of the non-profit Turtle Patrol mark and monitor the nests and assist wayward hatchlings. In Volusia County endangered and threatened sea turtles are rehabilitated at the Marine Science Center
Caretta caretta is a member of the Cheloniidae - Marine turtles family.
Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida
Peter Alden
An easy-to-use field guide for identifying 1,000 of the state's wildflowers, trees, mushrooms, mosses, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, butterflies, mammals, and much more.A complete overview of Florida's natural history, covering geology, wildlife habitats, ecology, fossils, rocks and minerals, clouds and weather patterns and night sky. An extensive sampling of the area's best parks, preserves, beaches, forests, islands, and wildlife sanctuaries, with detailed descriptions and visitor information for 50 sites and notes on dozens of others. The guide is packed with visual information — the 1,500 full-color images include more than 1,300 photographs, 14 maps, and 16 night-sky charts, as well as 150 drawings explaining everything from geological processes to the basic features of different plants and animals. For everyone who lives or spends time in Florida, there can be no finer guide to the area's natural surroundings than the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida.
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Date record last modified:
Aug 26, 2009