Mature loggerhead females often return to the beach where they hatched to lay their own eggs, sometimes traveling thousands of miles. They prefer coastal habitats in temperate and subtropical regions, though they often frequent inland water bodies and will travel hundreds of miles to reach them. These highly migratory turtles have an enormous range that encompasses all but the most frigid waters of the world’s oceans. Predators also rely on loggerhead hatchlings for food, while more than a hundred species of animals-including barnacles, crabs, and algae-live on their shells. These turtles feed on invertebrates, whose shells pass through their digestive systems and, upon excretion, fall back to the bottom of the ocean for other animals to eat as a calcium source. The Loggerhead is considered a “keystone species,” meaning that other animals in its ecosystem depend on it for survival. While adults males generally weigh about 250 pounds, loggerheads of more than a thousand pounds have been found. Their front flippers propel them through the water like wings, and their hind feet stabilize and steer them. Their reddish-brown shell, or carapace, is heart-shaped. The largest of all hard-shelled turtles, loggerheads are named for their massive heads and strong jaws ( leatherbacks are bigger but have soft shells). Current Population Trend: Decreasing What is the loggerhead sea turtle?
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