Loggerhead Turtle

• Scientific name: Caretta caretta
• Weight: 200 - 375 pounds
• Length: 2.5 - 3.5 feet
• Lifespan: 70+ years
• Eggs Per Nest: 90 - 120 eggs
• Incubation Period: 45-70 days

Other fun fact about the loggerhead turtle

• Over 95% of Longboat Key nests come from loggerhead turtles; the others come from green turtles.
• Turtle hatchlings only measure about two inches and weigh less than an ounce.
• A female loggerhead turtle travels thousands of miles to nest; laying her eggs on the same beach where she herself hatched.
• Temperature during incubation determines the sex of the hatchling. "Hot mammas, Cool daddies"

2021 Turtle Nesting Season Statistics

• Nests: 1,032
  • Loggerhead: 1,026
  • Green: 6
  • Prior 8-year average: 980
  • Relocated Due To Beach Nourishment: 111
• False Crawls: 1,441
  • Loggerhead: 1,425
  • Green: 16
• Disorientations: 97
  • Prior 8-year average: 154
• Disorientation Rate
  • Ratio of disorientations to total nests: 9.45%
  • Prior 8-year average: 17.0%
• Code Enforcement Violations
  • Total Cases: 362
    • Lighting Violations: 198
    • Obstruction Violations: 164
  • Impounded Items: 18
  • Citations Issued: 1
  • Special Magistrate Case: 0