The Types of Turtles Found in Hawaii
Beautiful Hawaii is a state like no other. Of course, the first things we think of when we think of Hawaiian turtles are those beautiful sea turtles. The Aloha State is home to five species of sea turtle, and of course, people from all over the globe love to come to Hawaii to have the chance to swim with the turtles. There are also five types of freshwater turtles in the state – two soft shells and three sliders.
Turtles And The Law In Hawaii
It is illegal to own any sea turtle of course or any vulnerable or endangered species. As always, you should consult the local authorities for specific information on what you can or cannot do concerning turtles.
The Law On Sea Turtles
In addition to existing Federal Laws that protect sea turtles, under Hawaiian law you are not allowed to touch, disturb, harass, or feed turtles. Turtles touched by humans can contract human-carried viruses. You are not allowed to disturb nesting sites or eggs. If you want to carry out a study, rescue, or rehabilitation of sea turtles, then you must get a permit from the State.
Does the Four Inches Law Apply In Hawaii?
As a Federal law, the four-inch law applies in Hawaii. This means you cannot own a turtle with a carapace length of less than 4″ long. This is the relevant information. Code of federal regulations, title 21, volume 8, part 1240 ‘Control of communicable diseases’, subpart D ‘Specific Administrative Decisions Regarding Interstate Shipments’, section 1240.62 ‘Turtles intrastate and interstate requirements.’
Red-eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans
You will find red-bellied sliders on Hawaii’s five main islands: Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, and Kauai. This is one of the larger freshwater turtles in the United States. It can achieve a carapace length of 16″, but individuals that have a carapace length of around 8″ are more common.
The red-eared slider is one of the most popular pet turtles on the planet. It is the number one most frequently owned pet turtle in the US. The red-eared slider does not, of course, have red ears. Instead, it sports a bright red stripe or splash on the side of its head – just in the place where its ears would be if it had them. (Turtles do of course have ears and can hear, but their ears are internal.)
These turtles need to spend time basking in the sun to regulate their body temperature and gain energy. They can often be spotted enjoying basking in the sun, usually in groups, sometimes with other species of turtle. They prefer living in lakes, small ponds, and swamps, and are not usually found in running water.
The red-eared slider can be a danger to other turtles. It can survive and thrive under a variety of conditions. It is listed as one of the world’s most invasive species and will out-compete most other turtles in its environment. If you decide to keep this turtle as a pet you should be extremely careful not to allow it to escape into the wild. It is never a good idea to release an unwanted pet, as they may carry diseases, have weak genes, or be a threat to native species.
The Yellow-bellied Slider Trachemys scripta scripta
In Hawaii, you will find yellow-bellied sliders on the five main islands: Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, and Kauai. The yellow-bellied slider is a medium-sized turtle. The males grow to a carapace length of 9″, whereas the females are larger, growing to 13″. The carapace, or upper shell, is dark green or brown and the plastron is yellow with black spots along the edge. This yellow lower shell gives the yellow-bellied slider its common name. It has dark skin with bright yellow stripes, and it sometimes exhibits an “S” shaped yellow stripe on its face.
During the day they spend their time hunting, basking in the sun on logs, or simply floating around catching the rays. At night, they hide away and sleep somewhere safe. They enjoy quiet water that doesn’t have strong currents and can be found in ponds, streams, and even ditches. They like densely vegetated water that has a good supply of microorganisms. These microorganisms are a food source for their normal diet of small crustaceans, fish, tadpoles, and insects.
The Cumberland Slider Trachemys scripta troostii
You will find Cumberland sliders on the five main islands: Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, and Kauai. The Cumberland slider is sometimes known as Troost’s turtle. It has a dark brown carapace with a lemon edge and lemon lateral lines, and a yellow plastron. You might observe a slight keel on this turtle, and you will also note two rounded projections on the posterior of the carapace. It has dark brown skin which has bright yellow stripes and swirls. A bold bar behind the eye can be yellow or red.
They grow to 8″ in length, and they display sexual dimorphism, with females growing to almost twice the size of males. These live in ponds, rivers, and even roadside ditches. They love to bask in large groups, even with other species of turtle. When alarmed, they slide into deeper water to hide. When young, they are carnivores, older individuals are mostly herbivores. Like all turtles, they are only able to eat when in the water. It is possible that this turtle arrived in Hawaii via the pet trade. Their conservation status is uncertain.
The Chinese Softshell Turtle – Pelodiscus sinensis
This is a Chinese native species and was introduced into Hawaii up to World War II by people wanting to farm it for meat. The world’s most economically important turtle, it is farmed extensively in China.
This turtle is medium-sized, growing to 13″ long, with a soft, leathery, carapace that is softer towards the edges. It is olive green in color. The plastron is orange or red, the front legs and head are green, and the back legs are orange. These have a long nose and snout that they can use like a periscope. They are carnivores and live in fresh or brackish slow-moving water. They are considered to be vulnerable.
Wattle Necked Softshell Turtles – Palea steindachneri
This turtle grows up to 17″ long and can be distinguished from the Chinese softshell turtle by the wattles, or fleshy protuberances, on its neck. This turtle was also introduced by immigrants for meat, up until World War II. It can be found in Kauai and in Oahu in slow-moving waters. They are highly carnivorous and may have had an impact on local fauna.
Sea Turtles – The Basic Facts
Sea turtles are air-breathing reptiles and are some of the oldest animals on earth. They spend most of their life out at sea, only coming to land to make their nest and lay their eggs, ready for the next generation
How Long Can Sea Turtles Hold Their Breath?
Sea turtles can stay inactive underwater for up to seven hours. After seven hours, they have to come to the surface to get oxygen. They can live in water with a high salt concentration because of specially adapted glands close to their eyes which means they can get rid of excess salt in their bodies. It used to be thought that turtles cried, but in fact, what was being observed was those salt-eliminating glands working.
Sea Turtles – Under Threat, But Highly Protected
Five of the seven sea turtle species can be found off the coast of Hawaii. The level of threat to sea turtles ranges from Critically Endangered to Vulnerable. In the past, sea turtles were plentiful, but due to loss of habitat, predation by humans, pollution, and fishing methods that result in turtle death, they are very much reduced in numbers.
Many sea turtles are thought to be good to eat. In some sea-focused cultures, they are ritually important – for example, the Garinagu of Central America use them in annual sacred ceremonies. (They have a special dispensation to take one turtle each year for this purpose.)
Turtle soup was in the past thought of as a special luxury. It was routinely served at important occasions, such as the Lord Mayor of London’s annual banquet. As a child, perhaps you read “Alice in Wonderland”, with the Mock Turtle crying over the “Soup of the evening, beautiful soup”.
An Important Element In The Diet Of The Past
People around the globe have for centuries eaten sea turtles as part of their diet. With a small population of consumers using non-commercial fishing methods, this was sustainable. But now, due to overfishing, sea turtles have gone from being a sustainable source of food, especially for Caribbean nations, to being protected species. Sea turtles are under Federal protection in the United States, and by international agreement around most of the world.
Sea turtles were first added to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) list of endangered species as long ago as 1975. Unlike more easily understood animals such as pandas and elephants, turtles have been overlooked as species that are endangered. Fortunately, that is now changing, and Hawaii in particular has been leading the charge to protect these gentle giants.
How To Help Turtles In Hawaii
If you want to help conservation efforts in Hawaii, then the Hawaii Wildlife fund is the place to check out.
Where To See Turtles In Hawaii – And Even Swim With Them!
Most of the turtles that make their home around Hawaii are only found in deeper water. The truth is, unless you are really lucky, you are not very like to spot one in the open water. The green sea turtle, known as honu in Hawaiian, is the exception. The vast majority of the green sea turtle population of Hawaii can be found off the coast of the northwest islands, in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the largest national park in the United States. Snorkeling in the park is one of the surest ways to spot a green sea turtle. The green sea turtle population of Hawaii is affected by a disease that is related to herpes. You should not touch any turtle that you find that seems to be sick or stranded. Instead, contact the Hawaii Wildlife fund for advice.
The Leatherback Turtle – Dermochelys coriace -The Big Guy
The leatherback turtle – Dermochelys coriace – is the largest sea turtle in the world. When fully grown they can weigh between 600 and 800 pounds and are have a carapace length of between five and six feet. Some exceptional individuals have been known to weigh up to as much as 2,000 pounds and to have a carapace length of eight feet long.
Leatherbacks are almost a throwback to prehistory. They have been on earth for at least 150 million years. The leatherback doesn’t have a hard shell, unlike most other turtles. Its skin is black, with a pink or white belly. Because their skin is flexible and their lungs are adapted to deflate, they can deal with the high pressure that is found at depth. Around Hawaii, they can be found mainly in the deepest waters – as much as three thousand feet or more. They eat soft creatures such as squid and jellyfish, and they need to eat three-quarters of their own weight in food each day. Leatherback turtles have been known to die from eating plastic bags and balloons that they mistake for food.
Leatherbacks are known to migrate for huge distances – as much as 4,000 miles each way – to get to their favorite breeding grounds. As do all turtles, they mate at sea and then the females return to their birth beach to lay their eggs in a nest in the sand.
The Green Sea Turtle – chelonia mydas – The One With The Green Fat
The green turtle is so called because its fat has a greenish tinge. This color comes from the chlorophyll in the sea grass that forms a very large part of its diet. This turtle also enjoys eating jellyfish. Mistaking plastic bags for jellyfish has become a major cause of death for the green sea turtle. Green turtles can achieve a carapace length of four and a half feet and can weigh up to 350 lb. As a plant-eating turtle, they spend a lot of time close to the shore, and they are the most commonly sighted sea turtle in Hawaii as a result.
If you snorkel, scuba, or go boating in the waters of Hawaii, you may spot a green sea turtle. You may even find yourself swimming alongside one – a fantastic experience. However, remember that it is strictly against the law to touch a sea turtle in Hawaii, so look, take pictures, but leave your new friend to paddle quietly on his way.
Green turtles have been prized for their delicious flesh, and people also enjoy their eggs. This has led to a catastrophic decline in their numbers. Other factors in the population decline of green turtles include pollution. In particular, the run-off of chemicals from the land destroys the seagrass meadows where they feed. Another significant danger is their getting caught in fishing gear and drowning.
The Hawksbill Turtle – Eretmochelys imbricate – The Turtle That Loves Sponge
The next sea turtle in order of size list is the hawksbill turtle. The hawksbill has a mouth that is shaped like a haws beak – hence the name. Its shell has long been prized for making jewelry and ornaments, and this trade is now strictly prohibited. I can reach a carapace length of three feet, and weigh in at 125 lb. In Hawaii, the hawksbill turtle is generally found near reefs where it can find its all-time favorite food – sea sponges. Although sea sponges are poisonous to most creatures in the sea, this turtle has adapted to be able to eat a food that no other creature can. It has a unique place in the ecology of the ocean.
This very seriously endangered animal is rarely seen in Hawaii. If you want to see Hawksbill turtles, then you should travel Downunder. The largest colony of hawksbill turtles in the world is in Australia. It’s estimated that there may only be eight thousand individual Hawksbill turtles left in the world. The fact that they can lay up to 300 eggs in a breeding cycle does give hope for a resurgence of the species, given human efforts to protect them.
The Olive Ridley Turtle – Lepidochelys olivacea – Common, But Elusive
The olive ridley sea turtle is the commonest sea turtle in the oceans of the world. There are thought to be around 800,000 nesting females worldwide. One of the smaller sea turtles, the olive ridley grows to a carapace length of two and a half feet and weighs in at around 80 lb. The name of this turtle is derived from the olive coloring of its carapace.
Although the population of the olive ridley is relatively large, biologists believe that their numbers are in decline. It is hoped that studies will help establish their true position and that efforts can be made to build up the numbers of the species. The olive ridley like to roam far at sea, and spend the majority of its life on or near the surface where it feeds on plankton and other small sea creatures.
The Loggerhead Turtle – caretta caretta -The Turtle With A Wooden Head
Well, it isn’t, of course, made of wood, but it gets its name from the woody or bark-like appearance of its skin. Caretta caretta, as he is known to science, is one of the largest sea turtles. It grows to a carapace length of three feet or more, and generally weighs in the region of 300 pounds, although huge specimens weighing up to a thousand pounds have been recorded. Loggerheads are long-lived, living to sixty years of age or more.
These turtles have been known to interbreed with other species of sea turtles, such as the kemps ridley, the hawksbill, and the green sea turtle. Surprisingly perhaps, the offspring of this cross-breeding are fertile.
The loggerhead is very widely distributed and can be found in deep water around Hawaii, and elsewhere in the Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean, as well as in the Caribbean. They thrive in warm water, and in fact, can only digest their food if the water temperature is high enough. These eat a wide variety of things -– fish, plants, shellfish, algae, and even their own hatchlings.
They are most active during the day and they can often be observed fighting over the best feeding areas. Around 85% of their life is spent under water. They come up for oxygen, and the females go to the shore to lay their eggs Considered to be a vulnerable and protected species, like all sea turtles the loggerheads are affected by pollution, fishing, predation by humans, and the effects of climate change.
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