Leatherback Turtle

Dermochelys coriacea

With a shell length of up to 1.83 meters, the leatherback is the largest living turtle. Its many unique features, such as a skin covered carapace and backward-projecting spines in its oesophagus to aid in eating jellyfish, make the leatherback the sole member of its family, Dermochelyidae. Its exceptional range extends across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, from as far south as Argentina and Australia all the way north to Norway, Labrador and Japan. Its occurence in such cold waters is probably due to its large size and thus its ability to maintain a body temperature of 25º Cin 7º Cwaters.

Distribution of Leatherback Turtle in Canada