Any of various large turtles with limbs modified into flippers; widely distributed in warm seas; SYN. marine turtle.
Any of various marine species of turtles, some of which grow up to a length of up to 2.5 m/8 ft. They are excellent swimmers, having legs that are modified to oarlike flippers but make them awkward on land. The shell is more streamlined and lighter than that of other turtles. They often travel long distances to lay their eggs on the beaches where they were born.
Species include the green turtle Chelonia mydas; the loggerhead Caretta caretta; the giant leatherback Dermochelys coriacea which can weigh half a tonne; and the hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata. Like many species of turtle, the hawksbill is now endangered, mainly through being hunted for its shell, which provides “tortoiseshell”. Other turtles have suffered through destruction of their breeding sites (often for tourist developments) and egg-collecting. + prikaži više