Description: The Atlantic Ridley is the smallest turtle in the Atlantic Ocean.  It is unique in its almost circular shell.  The carapace is colored olive-green, while the plastron is yellow. Male and female turtles are virtually identical in external appearance, but males have longer tails and more concave plastrons. They measure 23 to 27.5 inches (58-70 cm) in carapace length and weigh between 80 and 100 lbs (36-45 kg).

Feeding/Diet: Atlantic ridleys are carnivorous, feeding primarily on marine invertebrates.

Activity/Behavior: Atlantic ridleys are diurnal, but very little is known about their daily behavior.

Habitat/Range: Ridleys inhabit salt water environs. Most Atlantic ridleys found in North Carolina are in shallow water and high saline sounds.

Reproduction: Nearly all Atlantic ridleys nest on one small beach in Mexico.

Miscellaneous: The Atlantic ridley is considered an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is protected under U.S. law. It is considered the most endangered sea turtle in the world.

This website created by: J. Willson, Y. Kornilev, W. Anderson, G. Connette, and E. Eskew.
For comments or questions contact M. Dorcas: midorcas@davidson.edu.
M. Dorcas homepage: http://bio.davidson.edu/dorcas
Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina 28035-1719.

Partial Funding for this website provided by a Associate Colleges of the South, National Science Foundation, and Duke Energy.