The seven sea-turtle species

Follow all seven living sea-turtle species through shell structures, food, nesting and habitat. Identification needs several features and a reliable observation location.

1. Animal profiles

   Green sea turtles: changing diets and life in seagrass habitats ↗

   Green sea turtles change what they eat as they grow: oceanic young take animal and plant material around floating communities, while many older juveniles and adults graze coastal algae and seagrass. Their anatomy, habitat, and scute pattern help distinguish them, with regional variation requiring care.

2. Animal profiles

   Loggerhead turtles: powerful jaws and hard-shelled prey ↗

   Loggerheads combine a large, block-like head and powerful jaws with a varied diet that includes hard-shelled invertebrates and soft prey. Their usual scute pattern and coloration aid identification, while life-stage habitat, migration, and population-specific conservation classifications call for careful interpretation.

3. Animal profiles

   Hawksbill turtles: reef feeding and the cost of tortoiseshell ↗

   Hawksbills use a narrow beak to reach prey in reef crevices, with sponges important in many populations but not a universal menu. Their overlapping scutes and scale pattern aid identification, while historical tortoiseshell trade and continuing pressures shape the conservation story.

4. Animal profiles

   Leatherback turtles: flexible shells and life in cold water ↗

   Leatherback turtles combine a skin-covered shell reinforced by small bones with flippers, prey-retaining mouth structures, and heat-conserving physiology. These traits support oceanic travel and feeding in cold waters, while migration patterns vary among populations.

5. Animal profiles

   Kemp’s ridley turtles: mass nesting and a restricted breeding range ↗

   Kemp’s ridley turtles are small sea turtles whose synchronized daytime nesting is concentrated mainly in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Their broader occurrence, including juvenile movements, differs from that breeding core, and shell traits must be read alongside geography and life stage.

6. Animal profiles

   Olive ridley turtles: arribadas, solitary nesting and ocean travel ↗

   Olive ridley turtles combine flexible nesting behavior with broad tropical ocean distribution. Females may nest alone or in synchronized arribadas, while variable shell scute counts and post-breeding offshore movements require careful interpretation of identification and tracking evidence.

7. Animal profiles

   Flatback turtles: Australia’s continental-shelf sea turtle ↗

   Flatback turtles are Australian-nesting sea turtles adapted to continental-shelf and shallow coastal habitats. Their low, broad shell, soft-bodied prey, and shelf-associated early life distinguish them, while nesting season and feeding range vary by region.

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