Species Spotlight: Leatherback Quiz

1
Leatherback sea turtles live close to shore.
TrueFalse
2
Key Vocabulary

Review the key terms below in order to answer the quiz questions and unlock some of our favorite hawksbill photos!

Carapace - a bony or chitinous shield, test, or shell covering some or all of the dorsal part of an animal, as of a turtle

Ectotherms - an animal that is dependent on external sources of body heat.

Endotherms - an animal that is dependent on or capable of the internal generation of heat; a warm-blooded animal.

Esophageal Papillae - keratinized projections that point inward towards the stomach

Keratin - a fibrous protein forming the main structural constituent of hair, feathers, hoofs, claws, horns, etc.

Medusavore - a type of carnivore that eats only gelatinous zooplankton (jellies, sales, tunicates).

Rhamphotheca - keratinous beaks of the upper and lower jaws in turtles and birds.

Scute - a dermal bony plate, as on an armadillo, or a large horny plate, as on a turtle

Species - a class of individuals having common attributes and designated by a common name
3
Leatherback sea turtles are named after what characteristic?
Their size
The pattern on their shell
Their "leathery" shell
Their diet
4
Leatherbacks are named "leathery shell". Its shell is composed of a layer of thin, tough, rubbery skin that is strengthened by tiny bone plates which makes their shell look "leathery". Photo credit: Loggerhead Marinelife Center
5
If leatherbacks are considered medusavores, what does their diet consist of?
Sea grass
Jellyfish
Squid
Fish
6
Leatherbacks are a type of carnivore that eats only gelatinous zooplankton, which includes jellyfish, salps, and tunicates. Image: Brian Skerry
7
What adaptations do leatherbacks have to help them catch gelatinous zooplankton?
Mouth & esophageal papillae
fang- like rhamphotheca
Dives 3,000 ft deep
all the above
8
All the above! Leatherbacks dive just under a mile deep in search for jellies, use their fang-like rhamphotheca (beaks) to catch them, and mouth & esophageal papillae to hold onto prey while expelling salt. Photo credit: PRYF Livejournal
9
Which of the following is a Leatherback?
10
This is a Leatherback sea turtle found nesting during the day!Leatherbacks have dark skin, with white blotches, 5 dorsal ridges, and scaleless bodies. These characteristics help us tell them apart from other species of sea turtles. Photo credit: Loggerhead Marinelife Center
11
Leatherbacks are partially endothermic or "warm-blooded".
TrueFalse
12
True! Leatherbacks are able to keep their core temperature as much as 32 degrees F warmer than the water around them through counter-current heat exchange in their extremities. This allows them to withstand the near-freezing waters they explore. Photo Credit: Alan C. Egan
13
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