Why was the Loggerhead Sea Turtle Put on the Threatened Species List?
The Loggerhead Turtle was added to the threatened species list for many different reasons, read on to find them out.
The loggerhead turtle was put on the threatened species list for a number of different reasons:
- High mortality before adulthood
- Mortality due to fishing net problems
- Pollution
- Lack of natural light
Their Growth and Development
High rates of mortality before adulthood plague this species. Eggs and young turtles often die. They also take an incredibly long time to reach sexual maturity; so, as the young ones are dying off, there is not a whole new brood to come in and replace them.
Fishing Gear
If fishing gear is not the number one problem, it is one of the biggest problems associated with the endangerment of loggerhead turtles. They frequently get caught in equipment such as:
When they get trapped in these pieces of fishing gear, they can get seriously injured. Furthermore, they might not be able to get out, so they eventually drown.
Pollution
You need only go to your closest body of water to see how dirty they all can get. Would you believe that approximately 24,000 metric tons of plastic is dumped into the oceans on a yearly basis? The poor loggerhead turtles are consuming all of this garbage.
No creature should be eating plastic. It is not that the loggerheads are foolish, but they often mistake the plastic for jellyfish, which is a reasonable error. The plastic blocks their intestines, causes them to not get the proper nutrients, and releases toxins into their bodies.
Lighting
Loggerhead turtles need to create their nests in natural lighting. However, artificial lightning, particularly on populated beaches, is quite common. If they cannot find the right light, the female turtle will not lay her eggs. As we mentioned, there are already problems with the number of baby loggerhead turtles being born. These lighting issues only create more problems.