Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Scenes from the video:
Why is the Kemp's Ridley endangered? How old can it live? Why does it like
to lay eggs when it's windy? Brenda Justice talks with TPWD biologist Robert
Adami who tells us this and more!
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USFWS specialist Bryan Adams answers your questions.
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What's in the tank? Connie Stolte, TPWD
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Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, found in coastal waters and bays of the Gulf
and in the Atlantic Ocean, is the smallest, most endangered sea turtle.
This reptile weighs 80 to 100 pounds and grows to 30 inches long. Little
is known about its life in the open ocean. It prefers shallow waters close
to shore where it feeds on such things as crabs, snails, clams and some
plants, and often is caught and drowned in shrimp nets. Pollution, both
chemical and plastic, affect it.
From April through August females lay clutches of soft, white eggs in sandy
beaches from Veracruz, Mexico, to Corpus Christi, but few have nested on
Texas beaches in recent years. When the young hatch in 50 to 70 days, they
head for the water. In some areas, this turtle and its eggs are eaten by
humans. Because it is critically endangered, the Ridley is the focus of
international conservation efforts.