Sea Turtles
There are seven species of sea turtles in the world. These turtles are reptiles which means they are cold blooded, have scales called scutes, breath with lungs, and lay eggs on land. All are either listed as endangered or threatened.
In order of size from largest to smallest they are:

Leatherback - shell may be 6 feet; weighs 650 to 1100 pounds; eats jellyfish
Green - shell may be 4 feet;weighs  240-500 lbs; vegetarian
Loggerhead - shell is 3-4 feet; weighs 250-400 lbs; eats crabs and mollusks;
This is the most common sea turtle nesting on Hilton Head.

**Hawksbill - shell is 2-3 feet; weighs 100-200 lbs; eats sponges
Kemp's Ridley - shell about 2 feet; weighs 75-100lbs; eats blue crabs and mollusks

**Olive Ridley - shell is 2 - 2.5 feet; weighs up to 100 lbs, eats crabs, shrimp, jellyfish; found in Pacific
**Australian Flatback - shell is up to 3 feet, weighs about 200 lbs; found only near Australia and southern Indonesia

**Not found in our area.
Loggerhead is the most common nesting turtle on Hilton Head.  We do get an occasional Green turtle nest and rarely a Leatherback nest, but they are not normally successful here.  We did have a rare
Kemp's Ridley nest several years ago.

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Click this link for a current nest count
on Hilton Head.