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Loggerhead turtles

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February 19, 2026

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Conservation

Why in News?

Recently, Scientists noticed that the loggerheads turtle has been impacted in at least 4 ways by global warming.

  • Recent Findings - Sea turtles are capital breeders, relying on energy stored from years of ocean foraging to reproduce.
  • Climate change is making parts of the Atlantic Ocean less productive, reducing their reproductive capacity.
  • Rising sea levels are eroding and flooding nesting beaches, decreasing suitable nesting sites.
  • Nest temperature determines hatchling sex; higher temperatures produce more females, disturbing sex ratios.
  • Female loggerheads now breed less frequently (every four years instead of two), lay fewer eggs, and are becoming smaller in size.
  • Changes in ocean circulation affect migration routes and hatchling dispersal.
  • Species are forced to shift habitats, increasing their risk of decline or extinction.

Loggerhead turtles

  • Nomenclature - Named for their massive heads and powerful jaw muscles, loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are the world's largest hard-shelled turtles.
  • These ancient mariners are a keystone species, supporting over 100 different types of animals and plants that live directly on their shells.
  • Nesting Hotspots - Florida (USA) hosts about 90% of U.S. nesting. Other major sites include Oman, Cabo Verde, Greece, and Australia.
  • Diet- Primarily carnivorous, they use their strong jaws to crush hard-shelled prey like crabs, conchs, and sea urchins.
  • Lifespan - They are long-lived, often reaching 70–80 years or more in the wild.
  • Navigation - They possess an extraordinary "internal compass," using the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate thousands of miles across ocean basins.
  • Reproduction - Females exhibit natal homing, returning to the exact beach where they hatched decades earlier to lay their own eggs.
  • Conservation status – IUCN - Vulnerable.
  • Threats – Bycatch - Accidental capture in commercial fishing gear (trawls, longlines, and gillnets) is their primary threat.
  • Pollution - They frequently mistake plastic debris for jellyfish, leading to fatal internal blockages.
  • Coastal Development - Artificial lighting on beaches disorients hatchlings, leading them away from the ocean and toward hazards.

Loggerhead turtles

Reference

The Hindu | Loggerhead turtles

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