Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle

(Lepidochelys kempii)

Date of Listing: Endangered, 1970

Female turtles lay their eggs on a beach along the east coast of Mexico. It is the only known major nesting beach in the world for this turtle. Females nest in large groups called "arribazones". Groups of females move onto the beach to lay their eggs over a period of a few days. Each turtle digs a hole in the sand, deposits her eggs, and returns to the sea. In 50-55 days, the eggs hatch and the baby turtles (hatchlings) rush to the water and out to sea. After at least 10 years at sea, adult females return to nest at the same beach where they hatched. Male turtles never leave the water. They appear in waters near the nesting beach during the breeding season to mate with the females. Other than that, we know little about the males.

Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles are endangered because people dug up their eggs for food. Adult turtles were killed for food, and many have died from being tangled in large shrimp nets. Some turtles also die from eating trash, which they mistake for food.

Size:

28 inches in length and 75-100 lbs.

Diet:

Mostly crabs; also shrimp, snails, clams, jellyfish, sea stars, fish.

Habitat (where it lives):

Marine

Range (where found in Texas):

Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.

Life Span:

Individuals surviving to adulthood may live 30 years and possibly up to 50 years.

Reproduction:

100 soft, white eggs.

Population Numbers:

Most reliable counts are of nesting adult females, with estimates less than 1000 adult females.

Interesting Fact:

Scientists think baby sea turtles may remember or "imprint" on the particular smell, chemical make-up, or magnetic location of the beach where they hatched.