Flatback Quick Fact Sheet.Indd

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Flatback Sea Turtle Quick Fact Sheet Common Name: Australian fl atback - named because its shell is very fl at. Scientifi c Name: Natator depressus Description: Head has a single pair of prefrontal scales (scales in front of its eyes). Carapace is bony without ridges and has large, non-overlapping, scutes (scales) present with only 4 lateral scutes. Carapace is oval or round and body is very fl at. Flippers have 1 claw. Edge of carapace is folded and covered by thin, non-overlapping waxy scutes. Carapace is olive-grey with pale brown/yellow tones on margins and the fl ippers creamy white. The scutes of the hatchlings form a unique dark- grey reticulate pattern, and the center of each scute is olive colored. Size & Weight: Adults measure up to 3.25 feet in carapace length (99 cm). Adults weigh an average of 198 pounds (90 kg). Diet: Apparently eats sea cucumbers, jellyfi sh, mollusks, prawns, bryozoans, other invertebrates and seaweed. Habitat: Prefer turbid inshore waters, bays, coastal coral reef and grassy shal- lows. Nesting: Nests 4 times per season. Lays an average of 50 eggs at time, but these are comparatively quite large. The eggs incubate for about 55 days. When the hatchlings emerge, they are larger than most species. Range: Very limited. It is found only in the waters around Australia and Papua New Guinea in the Pacifi c. Status: Australia - Listed as Vulnerable under the Australian Environment Protec- tion & Biodiversity Conservation Act. International - Listed as Data Defi cient, not enough information available to make a determination of status. Threats to Survival: Sea turtles are threatened with capture, harvesting of eggs, destruction of nesting beaches, ocean pollution, oil spills and entanglement in fi sh- ing and shrimp nets. Flatbacks are not fi shed commercially, but are taken as sub- stence food. Their limited range makes them vulnerable to change of their habitat and over-exploitation. Population Estimate: 20,000 - 21,000 nesting females..

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Flatback Turtles Along the Stunning Coastline of Western Australia
PPRROOJJEECCTT RREEPPOORRTT Expedition dates: 8 – 22 November 2010 Report published: October 2011 Beach combing for conservation: monitoring flatback turtles along the stunning coastline of Western Australia. 0 BEST BEST FOR TOP BEST WILDLIFE BEST IN ENVIRONMENT TOP HOLIDAY © Biosphere Expeditions VOLUNTEERING GREEN-MINDED RESPONSIBLE www.biosphereVOLUNTEERING-expeditions.orgSUSTAINABLE AWARD FOR NATURE ORGANISATION TRAVELLERS HOLIDAY HOLIDAY TRAVEL Germany Germany UK UK UK UK USA EXPEDITION REPORT Beach combing for conservation: monitoring flatback turtles along the stunning coastline of Western Australia. Expedition dates: 8 - 22 November 2010 Report published: October 2011 Authors: Glenn McFarlane Conservation Volunteers Australia Matthias Hammer (editor) Biosphere Expeditions This report is an adaptation of “Report of 2010 nesting activity for the flatback turtle (Natator depressus) at Eco Beach Wilderness Retreat, Western Australia” by Glenn McFarlane, ISBN: 978-0-9807857-3-9, © Conservation Volunteers. Glenn McFarlane’s report is reproduced with minor adaptations in the abstract and chapter 2; the remainder is Biosphere Expeditions’ work. All photographs in this report are Glenn McFarlane’s copyright unless otherwise stated. 1 © Biosphere Expeditions www.biosphere-expeditions.org Abstract The nesting population of Australian flatback (Natator depressus) sea turtles at Eco Beach, Western Australia, continues to be the focus of this annual programme, which resumes gathering valuable data on the species, dynamic changes to the nesting environment and a strong base for environmental teaching and training of all programme participants. Whilst the Eco Beach population is not as high in density as other Western Australian nesting populations at Cape Domett, Barrow Island or the Pilbara region, it remains significant for the following reasons: The 12 km nesting beach and survey area is free from human development, which can impact on nesting turtles and hatchlings.
[Show full text]
The Australian Flatback by M. A. Cohen
September | October 2016 the Tortuga Gazette Volume 52, Number 5 California Turtle & Tortoise Club founded in 1964 and dedicated to Turtle & Tortoise Preservation, Conservation and Education Nesting female Australian flatback turtle, Natator depressus, photographed in habitat in Bowen, Queensland, Australia. Photo © 2009 by Stephen Zozaya. Reprinted with permission from the photographer. Flatback Sea Turtle, Natator depressus The Australian Flatback by M. A. Cohen he Australian flatback is a mem- covers the carapace of the flatback tur- museum specimens that went undiscov- ber of the Cheloniidae, the tle. Ordinarily, keratinized scutes cover ered for decades. superfamily of sea turtles, which the carapace of sea turtles species. In the 1980s, Rainer Zangerl and Colin Tis collectively the most endangered fam- The species was first described by Limpus concluded, through indepen- ily of turtles on the planet. Least studied American ichthyologist/herpetologist dent studies, that the Australian flatback of the seven living sea turtle species, the Samuel W. Garman (1843-1927) in 1880. was a unique species and not a relative Australian flatback turtle, Natator depres- Originally Garman assigned the Aus- of C. mydas (Spotila, 2004). sus, is unusual in several respects. tralian flatback to the genus Chelonia, The flatback was officially described It is the only sea turtle that is endemic, thinking it was a type of green turtle, and as a separate species in 1988 (Flatback, i.e., restricted to a certain area (Flatback, he gave it the name C. depressa. n.d.). Consequently, it was assigned to n.d.). The Australian flatback is the only Historically, there have been differ- the genus Natator, the name which was sea turtle that does not migrate extensive ences of opinion about how to classify first given it by McCulloch in 1908.
[Show full text]
Proceedings of the Twenty-Eighth Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation
NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-602 PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON SEA TURTLE BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 22 to 26 January 2008 Loreto, Baja California Sur, México Compiled by: Kama Dean & Melania C. López Castro U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science Center 75 Virginia Beach Drive Miami, Florida 33149 March 2010 NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-602 PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON SEA TURTLE BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 22 to 26 January 2008 Loreto, Baja California Sur, México Compiled by: Kama Dean & Melania C. López Castro U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Gary Locke, Secretary NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE Eric C. Schwaab, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries March 2010 This Technical Memorandum series is used for documentation and timely communication of preliminary results, interim reports, or similar special-purpose information. Although the memoranda are not subject to complete formal review, editorial control or detailed editing, they are expected to reflect sound professional work. NOTICE The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) does not approve, recommend or endorse any proprietary product or material mentioned in this publication. No references shall be made to NMFS, or to this publication furnished by NMFS, in any advertising or sales promotion which would imply that NMFS approves, recommends or endorses any proprietary product or proprietary material herein which has as its purpose any intent to cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be use or purchased because of NMFS publication.
[Show full text]
Genetics and Molecular Biology, 43, 4, E20200213 (2020) Copyright © Sociedade Brasileira De Genética
Genetics and Molecular Biology, 43, 4, e20200213 (2020) Copyright © Sociedade Brasileira de Genética. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4685-GMB-2020-0213 Research Article Animal Genetics Heterochromatin and microsatellites detection in karyotypes of four sea turtle species: Interspecific chromosomal differences Caroline Regina Dias Machado1, Camila Domit2, Marcela Baer Pucci3, Camilla Borges Gazolla1, Larissa Glugoski4, Viviane Nogaroto5 and Marcelo Ricardo Vicari1,5 1Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Departamento de Genética, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Curitiba, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil. 2Universidade Federal do Paraná, Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil. 3Universidade Nove de Julho, Departamento de Saúde II, Bauru, SP, Brazil. 4Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética Evolutiva e Biologia Molecular, São Carlos, SP, Brazil. 5Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Departamento de Biologia Estrutural, Molecular e Genética, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil. Abstract The wide variation in size and content of eukaryotic genomes is mainly attributed to the accumulation of repetitive DNA sequences, like microsatellites, which are tandemly repeated DNA sequences. Sea turtles share a diploid number (2n) of 56, however recent molecular cytogenetic data have shown that karyotype conservatism is not a rule in the group. In this study, the heterochromatin distribution and the chromosomal location of microsatellites (CA)n, (GA)n, (CAG)n, (GATA)n, (GAA)n, (CGC)n and (GACA)n in Chelonia mydas, Caretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata and Lepidochelys olivacea were comparatively investigated. The obtained data showed that just the (CA)n, (GA)n, (CAG)n and (GATA)n microsatellites were located on sea turtle chromosomes, preferentially in heterochromatic regions of the microchromosomes (mc).
[Show full text]
Reproductive Biology of the Flatback Turtle Natator Depressus in Western Australia
Vol. 23: 115–123, 2014 ENDANGERED SPECIES RESEARCH Published online February 28 doi: 10.3354/esr00569 Endang Species Res FREEREE ACCESSCCESS Reproductive biology of the flatback turtle Natator depressus in Western Australia Kellie L. Pendoley*, Catherine D. Bell, Rebecca McCracken, Kirsten R. Ball, Jarrad Sherborne, Jessica E. Oates, Patrick Becker, Anna Vitenbergs, Paul A. Whittock Pendoley Environmental Pty Ltd, 2/1 Aldous Place, Booragoon, WA 6154, Australia ABSTRACT: In contrast to the circumglobal nesting distributions and well-described reproductive biology of most marine turtle species, all known records of flatback turtle Natator depressus nest- ing have occurred within Australia and are relatively underreported; the species is listed as ‘Data Deficient’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). We report important baseline data on the breeding biology of flatback turtles at 3 rookeries in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, an area subject to increasing coastal development due to rapid expansion of the resources sector. Barrow Island and Mundabullangana support substantial reproductive pop- ulations; over the 6 season sampling period from 2005/06 to 2010/11, ~4000 and ~3500 turtles were tagged at each location, respectively. Over 2 seasons of monitoring in 2009/10 and 2011/12 at Cemetery Beach, a smaller rookery in Port Hedland, ~350 flatback turtles were tagged. We detected variation in parameters of reproductive biology between island and mainland rookeries. Mean remigration interval at Barrow Island (1.9 yr) was significantly shorter than at mainland Mundabullangana (2.2 yr) and may reflect differences in location and characteristics of remote foraging habitats in turtles returning to mainland versus offshore rookeries.
[Show full text]
Flatback Sea Turtle (Natator Depressus) Eggs by Varanid Lizards in Northern Australia
Chekntitu Contemiliut tiltd Biolog)', 2003. l(31:557-5r O 2003 by Chelonian Research Foundation Influence of Nest Site Selection on Predation of Flatback Sea Turtle (Natator depressus) Eggs by Varanid Lizards in Northern Australia Snan J. Br,Arunnsr, Mrcnlnl L. GunvnazrAND RoBEnr I.T. PnrNcn3 tHeydon-l,aurence Building A08, School of Biological Science, Universi^, of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Austalia I E-mail : s _blamires@ hotmail.cottt] ; 2 F ac ulty of S c i e nc e, I nfo rmat i on Te c hno I o gt' and Educ at i on, Northern Territory Universiq', Darwin, Northern Tenitom 0909, Australia I E-mail : michael. guine a@ ntu. e du. au ] : tDepartment of Conservation and Land Management, Wildlife Research Cente, P.O. Box 51, Wanneroo, Western Austalia 6946, Australia I E-mail : bobp @ c alm.wa. gov. au ] Ansrnlcr. - We examined nest site selection of flatback sea turtles (Natator depressrs) at two sites: Fog Bay, Northern Territory, and Mundabullangana, Western Australia. Nesting at Fog Bay occurred predominantly at the dune base. The dunes at Fog Bay are tall and steep, while the dune slopes at Mundabullangana are less severe and their crests are more accessible. Apart from afternoon nesting at Mundabullangana, N. depressus nesting procedure was similar at both sites: nesting around high tide, with reasonably direct crawls up the beach and the choice of nesting site unaffected by turtle size. At Fog Bay attempts to climb the dune usually resulted in no nesting and gradient of the dunes appeared to confine nesting to the dune base.
[Show full text]
Testudines of India: a Review on Diversity, Threats and Conservation Initiatives S
CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by ePrints@Bangalore University Review Article [Ramakrishna et al. , 5(2): Feb., 2014:3297-3304] CODEN (USA): IJPLCP ISSN: 0976-7126 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY & LIFE SCIENCES (Int. J. of Pharm. Life Sci.) Testudines of India: A Review on Diversity, Threats and Conservation Initiatives S. Ramakrishna¹, M. Jayashankar², R. Alexander¹* and K. Avinash³ 1, Department of Zoology, Bangalore University, Bangalore, (Karnataka) - India 2, Division of Entomology and Nematology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore, (Karnataka) - India 3, Research Officer, A Rocha India, Bangalore, (Karnataka) - India Abstract The present review is a collection of the available literature resources related to Testudines of India. Different aspects of diversity studies pertaining to turtles in India is presented in this review along with threats and conservation initiatives in different parts of India in different timeline. Key-Words: Testudines, India, Conservation Introduction This makes turtles as the oldest group of reptiles than 11 Turtles are reptiles placed in the order Chelonii or lizards, snakes or crocodiles . Currently there are 322 Testudines of Class Reptilia. Turtles are characterised species and 119 additional subspecies or 441 total taxa by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from of living turtles and tortoises. Among them 7 species their ribs which acts as a shield 1.Turtles are the only are marine turtles and 315 species and 434 total taxa 12 reptiles that have a shell and no teeth and are found in are of modern living freshwater and terrestrial turtles . both temperate and tropical climates 2.Turtles occur in A detailed review of different aspects of diversity different kinds of habitat, marine, freshwater and land.
[Show full text]
Turtles of the World, 2010 Update: Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status
Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation ProjectTurtles of the IUCN/SSC of the World Tortoise – 2010and Freshwater Checklist Turtle Specialist Group 000.85 A.G.J. Rhodin, P.C.H. Pritchard, P.P. van Dijk, R.A. Saumure, K.A. Buhlmann, J.B. Iverson, and R.A. Mittermeier, Eds. Chelonian Research Monographs (ISSN 1088-7105) No. 5, doi:10.3854/crm.5.000.checklist.v3.2010 © 2010 by Chelonian Research Foundation • Published 14 December 2010 Turtles of the World, 2010 Update: Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status TUR T LE TAXONOMY WORKING GROUP * *Authorship of this article is by this working group of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, which for the purposes of this document consisted of the following contributors: ANDERS G.J. RHODIN 1, PE T ER PAUL VAN DI J K 2, JOHN B. IVERSON 3, AND H. BRADLEY SHAFFER 4 1Chair, IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Chelonian Research Foundation, 168 Goodrich St., Lunenburg, Massachusetts 01462 USA [[email protected]]; 2Deputy Chair, IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, Virginia 22202 USA [[email protected]]; 3Department of Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana 47374 USA [[email protected]]; 4Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California 95616 USA [[email protected]] AB S T RAC T . – This is our fourth annual compilation of an annotated checklist of all recognized and named taxa of the world’s modern chelonian fauna, documenting recent changes and controversies in nomenclature, and including all primary synonyms, updated from our previous three checklists (Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [2007b, 2009], Rhodin et al.
[Show full text]
One in a Thousand: Those Amazing Sea Turtles
One in a Thousand: Those Amazing Sea Turtles Contributing Authors: Maia McGuire, PhD Ruth Francis‐Floyd, DVM, MS, DACZM Mark Flint, BVSc, BSc (Hons), MApplSc, MPhil, PhD Jaylene Flint, BSc, Grad Dip Ed Words in bold throughout can be found in the glossary, and are suggested for use as Word Wall words while the book is being read. This project was funded by a grant awarded from the Sea Turtle Grants Program. The Sea Turtle Grants Program is funded from proceeds from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate. Learn more at www.helpingseaturtles.org. This book and its accompanying lesson plans can be downloaded from http://stjohns.ifas.ufl.edu/sea/seaturtlecurriculum.html SGR 133 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Sea Turtle Biology .............................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 2: How Do Scientists Identify Turtles? ........................................................................... 7 Leatherback Sea Turtles ............................................................................................. 9 Loggerhead Sea Turtles ............................................................................................ 10 Green Sea Turtles ..................................................................................................... 12 Hawksbill Sea Turtles ............................................................................................... 14 Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles .......................................................................................
[Show full text]
Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation
NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-503 PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON SEA TURTLE BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 4 to 7 April 2002 Miami, Florida, USA Compiled by: Jeffrey A. Seminoff U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science Center 75 Virginia Beach Drive Miami, FL 33149 USA August 2003 NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-503 PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON SEA TURTLE BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 4 to 7 April 2002 Miami, Florida, USA Compiled by: Jeffrey A. Seminoff U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Donald L. Evans, Secretary NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION Conrad C. Lautenbacker, Jr., Administrator NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE William T. Hogarth, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Technical Memoranda are used for documentation and timely communication of prelimi- nary results, interim reports, or special-purpose information, and have not received com- plete formal review, editorial control or detailed editing. ii 22nd Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Miami, Florida USA NOTICE The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) does not approve, recommend or endorse any proprietary produce or material mentioned in this publication. No reference shall be made to NMFS, or to this publication furnished by NMFS, in any advertising or sales promotion which would indicate or imply that NMFS approves, recommends, or endorses any proprietary produce or material herein or which has as its purpose any intent to cause directly or indirectly the adver- tised product to be used or purchased because of NMFS promotion. For bibliographic purposes, this document should be cited as follows: Seminoff, J.A., compiler.
[Show full text]
Fao Species Catalogue
FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125, Volume 11 FIR/S125 Vol. 11 FAO SPECIES CATALOGUE VOL. 11. SEA TURTLES OF THE WORLD AN ANNOTATED AND ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE OF SEA TURTLE SPECIES KNOWN TO DATE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS FAQ Fisheries Synopsis No 125. Volume 11 FIR/S 125 Vol. 11 FAO SPECIES CATALOGUE VOL. 11 SEA TURTLES OF THE WORLD An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Sea Turtle Species Known to Date prepared by René Marquez M. Instituto Nacional de la Pesca Centro de Investigación Pesquera A p a rta d o Postal 591 Manzanillo, Coi. México 28200 FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 1990 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, Publications Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy. © FAO Rome 1990 PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT Their high commercial value and traditional role as a basic protein source for many riparian peoples in tropical and subtropical areas place sea turtles among the marine resources groups of major interest to fisheries.
[Show full text]
Establishment, Immortalization and Toxicological Applications of Primary Skin Fibroblasts from Three Sea Turtle Species
Establishment, Immortalization and Toxicological Applications of Primary Skin Fibroblasts from Three Sea Turtle Species by Sarah J. Webb, B.S., M.S. A DISSERTATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved Dr. Céline A. J. Godard-Codding (Chair of the Committee) Dr. Christine A. Bishop Dr. Michael J. Hooper Dr. Christopher J. Salice Dr. Kamaleshwar P. Singh Dr. Mark Sheridan Dean of the Graduate School December, 2014 © 2014, Sarah J. Webb Texas Tech University, Sarah J. Webb, December 2014 Acknowledgements This work was only possible through contributions of the time and knowledge of many people, without whom I would never have been able to complete my doctoral studies. Dr. Céline Godard-Codding has been a supportive and encouraging mentor who has provided me with excellent guidance throughout the formation and completion of my work. The opportunity to work with endangered species is rare, and I appreciate greatly the chance I had in her laboratory at Texas Tech. I am also deeply grateful for the experiences she provided, including travel to scientific conferences and to do hands on work with real, live sea turtles. I would also like to thank my doctoral committee: Dr. Christine Bishop, Dr. Michael Hooper, Dr. Christopher Salice, and Dr. Kamaleshwar Singh have all been extremely helpful by answering any questions I may have. Dr. Singh in particular has answered many of my cell culture questions as I refined my techniques and deepened my knowledge of cell culture theory and practice.
[Show full text]