Leatherback Turtles are the largest of all sea turtles, with adult females having a mean size of 1.6 m curved carapace length and some females reaching up to 1 t in weight. Both males and females have a spindled shaped body with unscaled keeled carapaces. Adults are black with pale spots. These spots turn pinkish when out of the water as blood flows to the surface of the skin to cool the body.
Leatherback Turtle, Leathery Turtle, Luth |
Dermochelys coriacea
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Species Profile and Threats Database, Dermochelys coriacea
However; changes to air and sea temperatures; sea level rise and other physical aspects that may change with global warming have the potential to alter the species occurrence (Hamann et al. 2007).
Climate Change and Extreme Events Changing termparatures and weather patterns associated with climate change are likely to have both direct physiological impacts on marine turtles; as well as indirect effects through impacts on critical turtle habitats (DEWHA in prep.).
Climate change may alter the temperature of nesting beaches; thereby affecting the male female ratio.
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