Normally, they are found in tropical and subtropical coastal areas. They are normally brown to red brown in color with 5 pairs of costal scales on each side. These turtles have a protective covering shell on the body known as Carapace which normally longer than it’s wider. A normal adult is more than 90 cm in length and its weight is about 115 kg in average. They can live to be more than 50 years old. Normally, a female lays about 100 to 126 eggs in each nest and they lay 4 to 7 nest in a single season at interval of 12 to 14 days apart from each other. The newly hatched turtles are about 5 to 8 cm in length and mostly live far out at sea. The older turtles live in water but near to shore. Being carnivores in nature, they mostly feed on shellfish, crabs, sea urchins and jelly fish.

Now let’s talk about the conditions which are responsible for listing the Loggerhead Turtle as threatened species that is in danger of being extinct. The biggest threat is the loss of its nesting habitats which are disturbed due to development on costal areas. Beside this, coastal development and predators of the nest are also another threat to the population of these turtles.  The turtles are killed for their delicious meat, beautiful shells and eggs.

In order to protect the population of Loggerhead Turtle from becoming extinct, efforts should be made to protect its nesting places by providing them suitable breeding places that are free from the threats of coastal development and predators. In this context, in Isla Mujeres efforts are being done in order to ensure enough protection to these turtles from the potential extinction from the face of the earth.

The World Conservation Union is the first international organization that started to work for saving these vulnerable species that are threatened by environment. The organization tries to evaluate the decreasing number of the species with the help of critical depensation level. It is the level where biologists come to know that the respective species cannot sustain for a long time.

These vulnerable kinds of species are also referred as red listed species. Red species include native species and sub-species (sub species are also called Taxa) which are on the verge of extinction in a few years in some locality. But it may happen that they extinct in one locality but can be found in some other place, whole extinction is not inevitable. Red listed species can be saved from extinction if some depleting factors are reserved. If the required environment is saved for these vulnerable species, then they can be protected for a longer time.

The factors are many for danger to the species. Reckless hunting of birds and animals, deforestation, pollution, etc. are every day seen causes of species extinction. Passenger pigeon and golden toads are examples that extincted because of hunting and environmental changes as well. Deforestation and pollution have forced the parrots and sparrows to leave the cities and many died because of the same factors. These species are definitely threatened to be wiped out from the wild life in near future. Recently US District judge has listed the polar bear a threatened animal rather than an endangered one on the planet. Polar bears are expected to extinct in near future as they spend their lives on ice and the ice is melting because of global warming. The lives of polar bears are at stake in coming days, although the process is gradual.

Reference: Illustrated Encyclopedia of endangered animals.