The leatherback sea turtle is the largest turtle in the world. However, compared to the beautiful, calm character of these gentle giants, the inside of a leatherback turtle’s mouth is scary. The turtle’s teeth are absolutely terrifying and resemble several stalactites. These teeth extend to its stomach. Continue to read to learn more about leatherback turtles.
Leatherback sea turtles are the largest turtles on the planet
World’s largest turtles. Image Credit: Margus Vilbas Photography/shutterstock.com
Of all marine turtle species, the leatherback is the most unique. Being the only surviving member of the Dermochelyidae family, leatherback turtles have the highest migratory distribution of any reptile globally. They can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and reach heights of over six feet.
The biology of the leatherback sea turtle has not altered in millions of years; in fact, they’ve looked the same since the time of the dinosaurs!
Leatherback sea turtles have the most unusual mouth.
Leatherback sea turtle mouth. Image source: kienthuc.net.vn
The leatherback sea turtle has one of the scariest mouths in the world. The turtle’s mouth, esophagus, and entire stomach are lined with hundreds of sharp, stalactite-like teeth, or “papillae.” Leatherback turtles are not flesh-eating carnivores since they only eat jellyfish. The sharp, backward-facing papillae help the turtle consume a huge number of slick jellyfish by preventing the jellyfish from floating out of the turtle’s mouth. An extended esophagus, which coils around the abdomen and back, also assists in processing the jellyfish. This implies that any type of jellyfish, including the enormous lion’s mane and smaller swarms, can be handled by the leatherback turtle.
Leatherback sea turtles consume up to 1,6000 calories of jellyfish a day.
Leather Back turtle eat jellyfish.
Even though jellyfish may not be a super-healthy meal, nothing is wasted. It is believed that during the summer, leatherback turtles consume 16,000 calories per day, or around 73% of their body weight.
As humans, some of us have been exposed to the poison that jellyfish inject into their victims when they sting them. However, as leatherback sea turtles are reptiles, their scales can shield them from that poison. The leatherback turtle’s papillae help in piercing and breaking down its prey after it has been ingested. Although these traits are a nightmare for jellyfish, consuming anything else would probably harm a leatherback turtle’s scissor-like mouth. For this reason, leatherbacks must actively hunt enormous numbers of jellyfish.
Furthermore, leatherback turtles can usually swallow dozens of jellyfish at once and only need 22 seconds to catch one, on average. It is not surprising that leatherbacks can consume 16,000 calories of jellyfish, given that they have a 100% rate of success when hunting jellyfish.