Photo by Chris Morocco

The loggerhead turtle is known for its particularly large head that houses the biggest jaw muscles of any turtle. Loggerheads need these powerful jaws to crush the shells of invertebrates which make up most of their diet. The turtles' shell and legs are reddish-brown, with brown to yellow markings on the remainder of their bodies. They can grow to about 3 feet long and weigh an average of approximately 250 pounds. Female loggerhead turtles come back to the same beach that they hatched at to lay their eggs. The hatchlings are only about 2 inches in length and swim directly out to open water where they typically stay close to the surface near mats of floating seaweed for protection until they grow larger.

Loggerhead Turtle
(Caretta caretta)

	Tropical, subtropical, and temperate seas
	Coasts and open ocean
	Primarily shellfish and crabs
The status of this species is representative of the populations within the waters of this Sanctuary only, not global populations.
	Loggerhead turtles do not become sexually mature until they are approximately 30 to 40 years old.
	- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology - Georgia Museum of Natural History - Duke University