Loggerhead Turtle

The Loggerhead Turtle (Carreta caretta), a member of the sea turtle family, is a large marine animal sometimes reaching two meters (approximately six feet eight inches) in length. The Loggerhead Turtle is characterized by its auburn body and heart-shaped shell hollowed at the neck. It swims gracefully through the water using long, flat fore flippers and hind flippers, which determine the direction of its course.
The Loggerhead Turtle feeds on crustaceans such as shellfish and crabs, and occasionally jellyfish.
When laying eggs, the female Loggerhead Turtle chooses locations further north in latitude than any other sea turtle. During the egg-laying period from May to July, she rides on the Japan Current, eventually landing on the Pacific coastline in search of sand dunes for her nest. At night when no one is around, the turtle digs an egg chamber with her hind flippers about 50 centimeters (20 inches) deep to lay approximately 120 eggs resembling ping pong balls in shape. She repeats this task three to four times until the end of August.
However, the number of beaches where the Loggerhead Turtle may spawn has been decreasing as a result of illegal waste disposal and land reclamation projects as well as ocean contamination. In addition, some people steal the eggs, drive on the beach, or chase the turtles at night for amusement. In order to solve these problems, a variety of non-governmental voluntary organizations all over Japan have been making an active effort to clean the beaches and preserve the Loggerhead Turtle.

Habitat

The Loggerhead Turtle inhabits primarily the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, traveling broadly throughout tropical and temperate zones. In Japan, it can be seen along the Pacific Coast of Ibaragi Prefecture and southward, as well as along beaches south of the Noto Peninsula. The Loggerhead Turtle is designated as a natural treasure by the Japanese government. As frequent spawning locations of the Loggerhead Turtle, Shizuoka, Tokushima, and Kagoshima Prefectures are very active in the protection of and educational campaigns for this vulnerable creature.

The Red Data Book is a report compiled by the Environment Agency classifying various threatened animals in Japan and their present status. From a biological viewpoint, the Environment Agency has evaluated the extinction risk level of each individual taxon and compiled a list for the Red Data Book. However, the Book possesses no legal power to enforce regulations concerning threatened species.

The Red Data Book is broadly employed as fundamental information for advancing the preservation of threatened wild animals.

From Environment Agency press materials