Loggerhead sea turtle

The loggerhead turtle is a carnivorous species that feeds on jellyfish, fish, crustaceans, and molluscs. Over the course of their lives, individuals go through two different ecological phases: in the very first years, due to their limited diving abilities, they inhabit the surface of the open sea, and later they also move toward shallow seabed. 

After mating, which takes place in the water, female loggerhead turtles lay their eggs on beaches between May and August. The eggs are incubated by the warmth of the sand for about two months. Temperature determines the sex: eggs incubated at temperatures above 29°C produce females, while those at lower temperatures produce males. 

The loggerhead sea turtle is found in the waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, as well as throughout the Mediterranean basin. In the Mediterranean, nesting sites are mainly located in the eastern region: Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, and Libya. In Italy, only the loggerhead turtle nests regularly along the southern coasts. In the last five years (2016–2021), an increase in the number of nests has been recorded, although they still account for only a few dozen compared to the roughly 8,000 across the Mediterranean. However, the seas around Italy are of great importance for the Mediterranean Caretta caretta population. The Adriatic Sea, for example, represents a crucial feeding area for this species.