The Loggerhead Sea Turtle | Anatomy
The Anatomy of Loggerhead sea turtle is unique. This is one of the few creatures that has both internal and external skeleton.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle have a very large head and it’s where they get their name Loggerhead. Like any other sea turtles Loggerheads has flippers for both fore and back and have claws on the end. The claws are not made for a battle with other sea creature but the main purpose is for digging for crabs, mussels and other invertebrates. The carapace of Loggerhead seems not brilliant as other sea turtle but this thick and shiny carapace helps them as camouflage for giant sea creature.
The color and shape looks like a stone. The scutes are large and in heart shaped covered with layer of horny plates. Same with other sea turtles its plastron is yellowish. Their heads and flippers are non-retractable with two tiny claws on each flipper. These cold blooded animals are fast swimmers and good divers. The flippers almost looks like a leg, their color varies from shades of brown to green and are normally weighs 870kg (1900 lbs). All turtles cannot stay long under water; every few minutes the Loggerhead will get to the sea surface to breathe and will not stay long on the sea surface for their vision above sea level is near sighted.
The gastrointestinal track or gut of Loggerhead extends from the mouth to the cloacae. The mouth captures and process foods and the stomach starts the chemical and physical process of digestions. In the intestine the digestive enzymes breaks the proteins and carbohydrates for the energy or fuel for the daily activities of Loggerhead sea turtle.
The carapace of the Loggerhead is actually a fuse ribs and is covered by a series of firm. The internal skeleton provides an anchor for the turtle’s muscles. Its long digits limbs are combining together to form flippers. The front flippers propel the turtle as they swim thru the water. The rear flipper serves as a rudder to provide balance and stability if not in motion.
The mouths has no teeth instead it’s a beak-like that is really design for crushing or even tearing of foods. The eyes provide a good underwater vision but in lands they are near-sighted. A gland near the eye of Loggerhead turtle releases salt fluids to keep eye moisture. As a result humans think that while laying eggs the female sea turtle is crying. Loggerhead doesn’t have ears but they perceive a low level frequency sounds. The sensitive smell of Loggerhead turtles helps them sense the nesting ground that once they were hatch. This is phenomenal that after 30 years they still can remember the scent to where they’re hatched.
The males and females have a very few physical difference. The gender can be distinguished thru its tail the short it is then its female. A male have a larger tail and usually extend past the hind limbs. Only female Loggerhead turtles have ovipositor this structure is used to deposit burden of laying eggs.