Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Leatherback sea turtle laying eggs on Turtle Beach, Tobago.
Courtesy Paul Mannix / Flickr

At a maximum length of over 6 feet and weight of 2,000 pounds, the leatherback sea turtle is the largest sea turtle. Impressively, it's also the world's largest living reptile.

The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is a in a class of its own. Rather, it is in its own family. Out of the 7 species of sea turtles, the leatherback is the only one in the family Dermochelys.

The leatherback's appearance is unmistakable. Adults are black with whitish-pink speckles on the carapace and head. Their name comes from their leather-like, oily carapace made up of connective tissue that covers bones. 

Leatherbacks are also deep divers, capable of diving at least 3,900 feet (Source: NOAA) - meaning they could dive alongside some of the deepest-diving whales (More on leatherback diving)

Classification:

•Kingdom: Animalia
•Phylum: Chordata
•Class: Reptilia
•Order: Testudines
•Family: Dermochelyidae
•Genus: Dermochelys
•Species: coriacea

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