How Big Can Sea Turtles Get?
CDSea Turtles are some of the most majestic marine species on planet Earth. They have an incredibly long lifespan, are incredibly hardy, and come in varying sizes and shapes. In terms of their size, various types of Sea Turtles can range from dwarfs to giants, thus making their size range pretty vast. Let us take a quick look at how big Sea Turtles can get.
Types of Sea Turtles
There are seven different types of Sea Turtles that we know of, and they are:
- Loggerhead Sea Turtle
- Hawksbill Sea Turtle
- Green Sea Turtle
- Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle
- Leatherback Sea Turtle
- Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
- Flatback Sea Turtle
Size of Sea Turtles
Sea Turtle sizes greatly differ, depending on the type of species they belong to. However, the largest species of Sea Turtles happens to be the Leatherback Turtle. It is the heaviest turtle in the world and can grow up to 800 pounds (363 kilograms). Its shell can stretch to six feet (1.8 meters) in length.
When it comes to the smallest Sea Turtle species, the smallest of them all is the aptly named, Dwarf Sea Turtle. This species rarely gets any longer than six inches (15 centimeters) and usually weighs no more than one pound (0.45 kilograms).
Average Size of Sea Turtles
The average size of Sea Turtles is hard to quantify due to the wide variety of species. However, the Green Sea Turtleis typically considered to beslightly larger than the Loggerhead Sea Turtle. A mature Green Sea Turtle can reach a length of roughly three feet (91 centimeters) and a weight of 300 pounds (136 kilograms). A full grown Loggerhead Sea Turtle can reach up to three feet (91 centimeters) in length and weigh up to 250 pounds (113 kilograms).
Conclusion
So, it is safe to say that the size of Sea Turtles can vary wildly depending on the species, ranging from dwarfs to giants. The average size of Sea Turtles is typically slightly larger than that of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, while the Leatherback Turtle is considered to be the largest and heaviest of them all.
