The Seven Types of Sea Turtles

Although these are one of the most magnificent creatures of the sea, they are still on the endangered list.

1. Loggerhead

The loggerhead sea turtle is known to be the most popular and common type of sea turtle. The adults are about 300 pounds and was given its name because of its massive head. The loggerhead is omnivorous, feeding mainly on mollusks, crustaceans, horseshoe crabs, clams, mussels, and other marine animals.

2. Green

The green sea turtle is known to be the second most common sea turtle. The green sea turtle gets its name due to its diet. They are strictly herbivorous, hatchlings eat worms, young crustaceans, aquatic insects, grasses and algae. Adult green turtles mostly eat seagrass and algae and weigh about 200-400 pounds.

3. Leatherback

The leatherback sea turtle weighs between 600 and 1,100 pounds, making them the largest sea turtle. Leatherback turtles get their name due to their leather-like shell, which is hard and different unlike other sea turtles. Leatherback jaws can eat jellyfish, sea urchins, squid, crustaceans, tunicates, fish, blue-green algae, and even floating seaweed.

4. Hawksbill

The hawksbill are named for their narrow, pointed beak. Their distinctive pattern of overlapping scales on their shells are highly-valuable and commonly known as "tortoiseshell" in markets. Adults are about 280 lbs and they mainly eat sponges,anemones, squid and shrimp.

5. Kemp's Ridley

The Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, also called the Atlantic ridley sea turtle, is the rarest species of sea turtle and is critically endangered. Adults are about 100 lbs with powerful jaws that feed on crabs, clams, mussels,shrimp, fish, sea urchins, squid and jellyfish.

6. Olive Ridley

The olive ridley sea turtle is named for the greenish (olive) color of its skin and shell. It is related to the Kemp's ridley, but olive ridleys are found only in warmer waters. The adults are about 85 pounds, making them the smallest sea turtle. The olive ridley are carnivorous and they mainly eat jellyfish, tunicates, sea urchins, bryozoans, bivalves, snails, shrimp, crabs, rock lobsters, and sipunculid worms.

7. Flatback

The fallback sea turtle gets its name due to its flat shell, which is unlike the curved shell of the other sea turtle species. Adults are about 200 pounds and they eat mainly sea cucumbers,

jellyfish, mollusks, prawns, bryozoans, other invertebrates and seaweed.