Loggerhead turtle (species: Caretta caretta) in taxonomy (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Animalia > Chordata > Vertebrata > Tetrapoda > Reptilia > Testudines > Cryptodira > Chelonioidea > Cheloniidae > Carettinae > Caretta > Caretta caretta (gallery)
Caretta caretta
Loggerhead turtle


©Anne Hoggett: Loggerhead Turtle at Lizard Island, carapace about 1 metre long.

©Anne Hoggett: Loggerhead Turtle at Lizard Island, carapace about 1 metre long

©Anne Hoggett: A large Loggerhead Turtle at Ribbon Reef #10

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Reptilia
Order Testudines
Family Cheloniidae
Genus Caretta
Species Caretta caretta
Status endangered

Lizard Island Field Guide
Lizard Island area: all known taxa

Colours

         

Distinguishing features

Head massive in old adults. Five, rarely six, pairs of plates (costal shields) flanking the midline on the carapace. Carapace plates (scutes) do not overlap. Two pairs of plates (prefrontals) between beak and frontal plate on head, sometimes with extra (supernumary) scales.

Size

  • Up to 280 cm (Length of specimen)

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Local abundance

  • Lizard Island: Seen infrequently

Web resources

References

  • Limpus, C.H. (1982). The reptiles of Lizard Island, Herpetofauna, 13(2): 1-6. LIRS catalog number 73.
  • Wilson, S. and G. Swan (2010). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia: 3rd Edition 558 pp. New Holland Publishers, Australia.