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Loggerhead Sea Turtles

Loggerhead Sea Turtle In Hilton Head, something special happens at the beaches. Loggerhead Sea Turtles lay their eggs in a sandy nest. After 60 days, the hatchlings emerge from the sand and scramble to the ocean.

What is a loggerhead sea turtle?

The loggerhead sea turtle is a reptile and is related to land turtles, lizards and snakes. Adapted to live in the ocean, loggerheads have powerful flippers instead of legs and an aerodynamic body and shell which allows the to easily through the water. Loggerhead sea turtles are an endangered species.

Where do Loggerheads live?

They are found in temperate and subtropical waters throughout most of the world. Adults usually stay close to shore while juveniles float in the ocean. Loggerhead sea turtles prefer to feed in coastal bays and estuaries or in the shallow water along the continental shelves of the Atlantic ocean. They live exclusively in the water, and the females only come on the land to lay eggs. Males never come ashore.

What do Loggerheads Eat?

Loggerhead Sea Turtles These turtles are mostly carnivorous and feed mostly on shellfish. There powerful jaw muscles and strong beak-like jaws allow them to eat animals such as horseshoe crabs, mussels and crabs.

Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nesting

Loggerheads nest on the beaches of Hilton Head Island and other near beaches between May and August. An adult female will nest once every two to four years, coming to shore seven times per season to lay eggs. Nesting occurs at night. The female crawls to a dry section of the beach then begins to excavate a pit from her flippers.. Once the cavity is right, she deposits 100 to 125 eggs. She then covers them and packs the sand over them to disguise it. Afterwards, the female returns to sea.

What happens with the Hatchlings?

60 days after the female lays her eggs, the small turtle begin to hatch. They use a sharp tooth to break open the shell. All of the hatchlings join together to dig out of the nest, a job that can take several days. During the cool night, the two inch long hatchlings emerge from their sandy nest and scramble toward the sea. It is during this run to the sea that many hatchlings fall prey to waiting predators. Once in the water, hatchlings swim several miles off shore where they catch ocean currents. They will stay in the open water for several years before returning to near shore waters.

Why are Loggerheads Endangered?

They live a difficult life. It is estimated that only 1 of every 10,000 hatchlings survives to adulthood. Thousands drown in fishing nets. Thousands are killed when mistaken as trash and debris. The loggerhead stays an integral part of the ecology of Hilton Head Island.

What Can You Do?

Remove beach litter. No balloons, plastic bags, foam fishing gear and other non-degvradable litter.
Observe. If you see a nest, do not go around it or shine lights on it.. Do not use flash photography.
Do not harass a turtle. Do not touch them. Leave nests alone.
Report injured turtles. Report dead or injured turtles.

Keep the lights out. Young turtles guide themselves by the light when guiding themselves to the sea. Lights from buildings and streets near the beach disorient the hatchlings. If they take too long the will die of exposure or predation. Artificial lights alos discourage nesting.

The town of Hilton Head Island requires that lights on structures visible from the beach be shielded or turned off after 10pm from May 1 to October 31. Any windows facing the beach must be covered.

Learn more
Learn more about Loggerhead Sea Turtles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loggerhead_Sea_Turtle