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Endangered leatherbacks find new nesting beaches in Ecuador as Pacific Ocean warms

from Phys.org

A hopeful story for the world's largest, critically endangered sea turtle may be playing out along the sandy beaches of Ecuador.

explained

The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), sometimes called the lute turtle, leathery turtle or simply the luth, is a large species of sea turtle. The largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile, it reaches lengths of up to 2.7 metres (8 ft 10 in) and weights of 500 kilograms (1,100 lb). It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys and family Dermochelyidae. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell; instead, its carapace is covered by oily flesh and flexible, leather-like skin, for which it is named. Leatherback turtles have a global range, although there are multiple distinct subpopulations. The species as a whole is considered vulnerable, and some of its subpopulations are critically endangered.

From Wikipedia: Leatherback sea turtle (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗
so what

Beach choice matters, because a turtle's sex is set by nest temperature: warmer sand produces more females, and sand that is too hot kills embryos. New beaches could offer more options, but they also need protection from poachers, lights and development.

fun fact

Leatherbacks eat mostly jellyfish and can dive well over a thousand metres.

more on this

key facts

Conservation status
vulnerable
Scientific name
Dermochelys coriacea
Started
12000 BC

Facts: Wikidata (CC0)

Illustrative photo · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons