The leatherback is the largest
living turtle and is so distinctive
that it is placed in its own separate
family, Dermochelys.
The largest leatherback on record
was a male stranded on the West
Coast of Wales in 1988. He weighed
916 kg
Leatherbacks are also the reptile
world's deepest-divers. Individuals
have been discovered to be capable
of descending to depths deeper than
1,200 meters.
They are also among the fastest
reptiles in existence. The 1992
edition of the Guinness
Book of World Records has the
leatherback turtle listed as having
achieved the fastest speed of any
reptile at a speed of 9.8 meters
per second.
For
more information visit: www.Turtles.org
