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Endangered leatherback turtle nest discovered

The discovery of the nesting species of this species of sea turtle, the largest on the planet and which can weigh up to a ton, is historic

By Telangana Today

Published Date - 8 December 2020, 06:11 PM

Endangered leatherback turtle nest discovered

The leatherback turtle is the largest specimen on the planet, it lives in the temperate tropical, subtropical and subarctic waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, it can measure up to three meters in wingspan and weigh up to a ton.

The Ministry of the Environment of Ecuador confirmed recently to have found a nest corresponding to a species of leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriácea), considered in a vulnerable state, on Isla Corazón, in the coastal province of Manabí. The discovery of the nesting species of this species of sea turtle, the largest on the planet and which can weigh up to a ton, is historic, the government said.

Vulnerable species

Leatherback turtle is currently on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, in the “vulnerable” section, while in the eastern Pacific Ocean it is “critically endangered.

If we are successful in hatching these specimens, this event would be classified as a historical event, because this species is very special due to its vulnerable situation,” said the ministry.

This would be the third time that a clutch of leatherback turtles has been recorded on the Ecuadorian coast, although on the previous two occasions, between 2015 and 2017, the eggs did not hatch, the source said.

Endangered leatherback