Marine Reptiles Sea turtles sea snakes marine lizards

Marine Reptiles • Sea turtles, sea snakes, marine lizards and salt-water crocodiles. • Tetrapods with scaly skin, oviparous & respire with lungs. • Usually restricted to warm water. • Must osmoregulate (get rid of excess salt in their bodies).

Sea Turtles Family Chelonidae • 8 species of sea turtles • All are threatened or endangered • Shells are flattened to decrease water resistance • Fat and light bones increase buoyancy • Excrete excess salt through their eyes

Carnivores Leatherback Kemp’s Ridley **Largest sea turtle** **Most endangered** Hawksbill **Jewelry and food**

Herbivores Green Turtle **Used for food**

Sea Turtle Migration • Return to same beach they hatched from to lay eggs. • Bury eggs to protect them for predators and keep the eggs moist and warm

Natural Threats to Survival • Predators including raccoons, crabs, ants, birds and sharks

Human Threats to Survival: 1. Commercial fishing with no TED’S

TED: Turtle Excluder Device §Allows shrimp to pass to the back of the net while the turtle escapes to safety before becoming trapped. §Federal law requires TED’s installed on all US fishing trawlers in areas populated by sea turtles

2. Ingestion of Plastics and Debris

3. Artificial Lighting of Beach

4. Coastal Armoring • http: //www. conserveturtles. org/seaturtleinf ormation. php? page=seawalls

5. Beach Nourishment

6. Fibropappilomas

7. for meat, jewelry, leather and cosmetics

Protection • Endangered Species Act (Hawksbill, Leatherback, Kemp’s Ridley, and Green). • Illegal to harm, harass or kill. • Illegal to import, sell, or transport turtles or their products. • Enforcement of Turtle Excluder Device (TED) regulations.

Family Hydrophiidae Sea Snakes • • • 50+ species 5 -9 feet long Eliminate excess salt from gland in mouth, salt is expelled as snake protrudes tongue Sea Krait Yellow-bellied

Yellow-bellied sea snake • Most common sea snake

Beaked Sea Snake • Most venomous sea snake • Can kill 53 people with one dose of venom

Marine Lizards • • • Galapagos marine iguana All are herbivores; eat Ulva Tails are adapted (flattened for swimming)

Marine Lizards • Salt glands excrete excess salt from consumed seaweeds; sneezed out through their nose

Marine Crocodiles • • • Endangered Inhabit extreme South Florida and Keys Long narrow snout with 4 th tooth exposed

Class Aves • Tetrapods with feathers and wings • Respire with lungs • Oviparous

Seagull • Common predators & scavengers

Pelican • Catch fish with pouch under beak

Penguin • Flightless bird

Cormorant • Diving bird

Frigate • Largest wingspan (8 ft. ) to bodyweight (3 lbs)

Arctic Tern • Spend majority of life in flight • Travel over 20, 000 miles every year