Ridley sea turtle

Genus of turtles

Ridley sea turtle

Researchers collect Kemp's ridley sea turtle eggs
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Chelonioidea
Family:	Cheloniidae
Subfamily:	Carettinae
Genus:	Lepidochelys Fitzinger, 1843
Type species
Chelonia olivacea Eschscholtz, 1829
Species
Lepidochelys kempii Lepidochelys olivacea

Ridley sea turtles are a genus (Lepidochelys) of sea turtle comprising two species: Kemp's ridley sea turtle and the olive ridley sea turtle.

Kemp's ridley sea turtles are currently on the New York and United States lists of endangered species.

Anatomy

Adult ridley sea turtles grow to a length of 51–71 cm (20–28 in), and weight of 36–50 kg (79–110 lb). They feed on crabs, fish, cephalopods, clams, and some marine vegetation.

Etymology and taxonomic history

The origin of "ridley" is a subject of speculation. Prior to being known as ridleys, French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède referred to the Lepidochelys species as "bastard turtles." Renowned sea turtle conservationist Archie Carr claimed that "ridley" was a common Floridan term, quite possibly, a dialectal corruption of "riddle."^[1]

Conservation

The Kemp's ridley sea turtles were on the brink of extinction in the 1960s with low numbers of 200 nesting individuals. Due to strict laws that protected their nesting sites in Mexico and altered fishing gear to avoid accidental capture of the Kemp's ridley, their numbers have increased to estimated an 7000–9000 nesting individuals today. The olive ridley sea turtle is considered to have the most abundant numbers today, estimated as 800,000 nesting individuals. The threats to their survival are loss of nesting habitat, direct harvest of the eggs and adults, and entanglement in fishing gear. Laws against harvesting the adults and eggs also have helped the olive ridley sea turtles' numbers gradually increase.

References

^ Dundee, Harold A. (2001). "The Etymological Riddle of the Ridley Sea Turtle". Marine Turtle Newsletter. 58: 10–12. Retrieved 2008-12-30.

External links

NY State Website - endangered species

Cheloniidae family

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Sea turtles
Family: Cheloniidae

Genera

Species of the Cheloniidae family

†Allopleuron

†Allopleuron hofmanni

†Argillochelys

†Argillochelys africana

Caretta

Loggerhead sea turtle

†Carolinochelys

†Carolinochelys wilsoni

Chelonia

Green sea turtle

†Eochelone

†Eochelone brabantica
†Eochelone voltregana

Eretmochelys

Hawksbill sea turtle

†Gigantatypus

†Gigantatypus salahi

†Glarichelys

†Glarichelys knorri

†Itilochelys

†Itilochelys rasstrigin

Lepidochelys

Kemp's ridley sea turtle
Olive ridley sea turtle
†Lepidochelys waikatoica

†Mexichelys

†Mexichelys coahuilaensis

†Miocaretta

†Miocaretta lankae

Natator

Flatback sea turtle

†Pacifichelys

†Pacifichelys hutchisoni
†Pacifichelys urbinai

†Syllomus

†Syllomus aegyptiacus
†Syllomus crispatus

†Tasbacka

†Tasbacka aldabergeni
†Tasbacka danica
†Tasbacka ouledabdounensis
†Tasbacka ruhoffi
†Tasbacka salisburgensis

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. †=Extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Suborder

Superfamily

Family

Genus

Cryptodira

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers
Lepidochelys	Wikidata: Q810578 Wikispecies: Lepidochelys ADW: Lepidochelys AFD: Lepidochelys BOLD: 158934 CoL: 5CG2 EPPO: 1LPOCG Fauna Europaea: 214776 Fauna Europaea (new): cb106eb3-02b0-45ad-b893-cf1de565ecc2 GBIF: 2442152 iNaturalist: 39669 IRMNG: 1015653 ITIS: 173838 NBN: NBNSYS0000188642 NCBI: 8471 NZOR: 02a8c904-99cc-4178-8059-abf84b4d2f70 Open Tree of Life: 587323 Paleobiology Database: 83306 WoRMS: 137069

Taxon identifiers

Lepidochelys