How does the leatherback sea turtle dive so deeply?
The leatherback is the largest sea turtle and has a flexible skin-covered back rather than hard shell plates.
Structural traits and environmental adaptation
A streamlined body and very long front flippers support efficient open-ocean swimming. During dives, heart rate slows, blood is directed to essential organs and a large blood volume stores oxygen. A flexible chest and shell tolerate pressure. Large size, fat and countercurrent heat exchange retain warmth in cold water. Reptiles, amphibians and shore-living fish regulate temperature and water in close interaction with the environment. Skin, scales, breathing and movement are interpreted with microhabitat. Behavioral warming or sheltering can matter as much as physiology.
Life cycle, threats and conservation
It feeds mainly on jellyfish and other soft prey, held by backward-pointing structures in the throat. Plastic bags can resemble jellyfish and are dangerous when swallowed. Fishery bycatch, coastal lighting, nesting-beach loss and warming sand that shifts hatchling sex ratios are threats. Eggs, larvae, juveniles and adults may require different places. Pollution, road mortality, illegal collection, disease and climate change can act together. Conservation programs need long-term local monitoring of temperature, moisture and breeding habitat.