Leatherback sea turtle

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/leatherback-sea-turtle

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is the Leatherback sea turtle?Carapace length up to 2.7 meters (8 ft 10 in)
2. How heavy is the Leatherback sea turtle?Up to 500 kilograms (1,100 lb)
3. How deep is the Leatherback sea turtle?Capable of diving over 1,000 meters (3,280 ft)
4. What is the scientific name?Dermochelys coriacea
5. What is the diet?Primarily jellyfish; also consumes salps and other soft-bodied invertebrates
6. What makes the leatherback sea turtle different from other turtles?It has no hard, bony shell. Instead, its back is covered in tough, leathery skin with tiny bone plates, making it flexible and great for deep diving.

Osteoderms: Bony plates embedded in the skin, forming part of the leatherback's unique shell structure.
Bycatch: The unintentional capture of non-target species, such as sea turtles, in fishing gear.
Pelagic: Relating to or living in the open sea, far from the coast.