Flatback sea turtle

Flatback turtle ( Natator depressus )

The flatback turtle ( Natator depressus ) is a representative of sea turtles. This species was formerly considered to be an Australian form of ordinary green turtle and is referred to as complying Australian green turtle. Only in the 1960s, it was recognized as a separate species and is today regarded as the only species of the genus Natator.

Features

The armor of the Barrier Reef Turtle is grayish in the basic color, in adult animals, the horny plates of the carapace, however, are covered with a thick, fleshy skin, the marginal shields are arched. The oval tanks can reach a length of over one meter, the weight of the Barrier Reef Turtle is a maximum of 140 kg.

Dissemination

The flatback turtle inhabits the northern coastal waters of Australia between the Kimberley Islands to the Torres Strait, they are rare in the area of the Great Barrier Reef. Preferably, they live in the shallow water and feed on brown algae, squid and sea cucumbers.

The most important nesting area of the Barrier Reef Turtle Crab Iceland is close to the Cape York Peninsula.

Endangering

Especially due to their meat and their eggs, the barrier reef turtle was hunted earlier, since the nesting beaches, however, largely lie in lonely, inhabited only by a few aboriginal areas are the only enemies for the animals and the eggs dragons and the entrained by the Europeans foxes dar.