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LOGGERHEAD TURTLE Scientific name: Caretta caretta
Its head is larger than that of other species, sometimes reaching 9 inches (25 cm). It is the most common species nesting in Brazil and it is also called "tartaruga mestiça". Its back is brown and the abdomen, yellowish. Its carapace is approximately 3 feet long (1 meter), and it weighs about 330 pounds (150 kilos), though some may reach 550 pounds (250 kilos). It feeds on fish, shrimps, snails, sponges and seaweed. Its powerful jaws allow it to grind sea shells and the carapaces of mollusks and crustaceans. It can be found practically all along the coast, but it prefers the beaches of northern Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Bahia and Sergipe to lay its eggs.
HAWKSBILL TURTLE Scientific name: Eretmochelys imbricata
In Brazil, it is also called the real or genuine turtle, and is considered the most beautiful of all sea turtles. Its carapace has brown and yellow scales, which overlap like tiles on a roof. Its mouth is reminiscent of a hawk's bill, its shell may be as long as three feet (1 meter), and it weighs 330 pounds (150 kilos). It used to be hunted because its shell was used in manufacturing of jewelry, glasses frames and combs. For that reason, it is one the most endangered species. It feeds on sponges, fish, snails and crabs. Juvenile or subadult hawksbill turtles are found all along the coast of northeastern Brazil, but they nest mostly on the north coast of Bahia and Sergipe.
GREEN TURTLE Scientific name: Chelonia mydas
It feeds exclusively on algae. This turtle has a greenish or grayish brown carapace and is almost four feet long (1.20 meters). It weighs, on average, 550 pounds (250 kilos) and may reach 770 pounds (350 kilos). Young green turtles may be seen quite easily all along the Brazilian coast. It prefers to lay its eggs on ocean islands, such as Fernando de Noronha, in the state of Pernambuco, Atol das Rocas, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, or Trindade in the state of Espírito Santo.
OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLE Scientific name: Lepidochelys olivacea
It is the smallest of the sea turtles, only two feet long, and weighs about 140 pounds. Its carapace is greenish gray, that is why it is called olive. It feeds on fish, mollusks, crustaceans, mainly shrimps, and water plants. Today, the coast of the state of Sergipe is where the greatest concentration of this species may be found nesting.
LEATHERBACK TURTLE Scientific name: Dermochelys coriacea
It is the largest and strongest species of sea turtle. It is also called the giant turtle because it can reach six feet (2 meters) long and weighs 1,500 pounds (700 kilos). It is black with white dots, and its shell is not as hard as the others', it resembles leather, whence its name. It has large anterior fins, which allow it to swim long distances. It lives out at sea, and only comes closer to land to nest. It feeds mainly on jellyfish. Very few females lay eggs, only on the coast of the state of Espírito Santo.
The Sea Turtles
Take a comparative look
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Where are the turtles in Brazil?
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Protected Areas
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