Kemps Ridley

Common Name: Kemp's ridley - named Kemp's after Richard Kemp, who helped discover and study the turtle. No one is sure why it is called ridley.

Scientific Name: Lepidochelys kempii

Status: U.S. - Listed as Endangered (in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future) under the U.S. Federal Endangered Species Act.
International - Listed as Critically Endangered (facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Range: Adults are mostly limited to the Gulf of Mexico. Juveniles range between tropical and temperate coastal areas of the northwest Atlantic Ocean and can be found up and down the east coast of the United States.

Size: Adults measure 24 to 28 inches (62-70 cm) in carapace length.

Weight: between 77 and 100 pounds (35-45 kg).

Characteristics: Head is moderate and triangular in size. Carapace is bony without ridges and has large, non-overlapping scutes (scales) present. Carapace has 5 lateral scutes and is very rounded. Front flippers have 1 claw, while the rear flipper has 1 or 2 claws. Adults have a dark grey green carapace with a white or yellowish plastron, while the hatchlings are jet black.

Habitat: Prefer shallow areas with sandy and muddy bottoms.

Diet: Have powerful jaws that help them to crush and grind crabs, calms, mussels, and shrimp. They also like to eat fish, sea urchins, squid and jellyfish.

Nesting: Nest every year in arribadas. Nests about 2 times each season. Lays an average of 110 eggs in each nest. Eggs incubate for about 55 days.

Population Estimate*: Less than 1,000 nesting females.

* Please understand that world wide population numbers for sea turtle species do not exist and that these are estimates of the number of nesting females based on nesting beach monitoring reports and publications from the early to mid 1990s.