Species Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758)

Museums

Regional Maps

External Links

• Testudo caretta Linnaeus, C. 1758. Classis III. Amphibia. pp. 194-238 in Linnaeus, C. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundem classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentis, synonymis, locis. Editio decima, reformata. Holmiae : Laurentii Salvii Vol. 1 10, 824 pp. [197].
• Testudo cephalo Schneider, J.G. 1783. Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Schildkröten, nebst einem systematischen Verzeichnisse der einzelnen Arten. Leipzig : Müller xlviii 364 pp. [303].
• Testudo caouana Lacépède, B.G.E. 1788. Histoire naturelle des Quadrupèdes ovipares et serpens. pp. 95-104 in Buffon, G.L.L. (ed.). Histoire Naturelle, Générale et Particulière, avec la description du cabinet du roi. Paris : Royal Printer 1 (Synops. Méth). [95] [unnecessary replacement name for Testudo caretta Linnaeus, 1758].
• Testudo nasicornis Lacépède, B.G.E. 1788. Histoire naturelle des Quadrupèdes ovipares et serpens. pp. 95-104 in Buffon, G.L.L. (ed.). Histoire Naturelle, Générale et Particulière, avec la description du cabinet du roi. Paris : Royal Printer 1 (Synops. Méth). [103].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, from 'les mers du nouveau Continent, voisines de l'équator'; restricted to Ascension Is., see Smith & Smith (1977).

  Type locality references:

  Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.
• Caretta nasuta Rafinesque, C.S. 1814. Prodromo di erpetologia siciliana. In: Specchio della Scienze, o Giornale enciclopedico di Sicilia. Deposito letterario delle moderne cognizioni, scoperte et osservazioni sopra le scienze ed arti. Palermo, Vol. 2, 196 pp. 65-67, 102-104 pp. [66] [unnecessary replacement name for Testudo caretta Linnaeus, 1758, but Wermuth, H. & Mertens, R. 1977. Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien; Testudines, Crocodylia, Rhynchocephalia. Das Tierreich 100: i–xxvii, 1–174 regard it as sp. nov. with type locality Sicily].

  Secondary source:

   Wermuth, H. & Mertens, R. 1977. Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien; Testudines, Crocodylia, Rhynchocephalia. Das Tierreich 100: i-xxvii, 1-174.
• Chelonia cavanna Oken, L. 1816. Lehrbuch der Naturgeschichte. Th. 3, Zoologie, Abth. 2, Fleischthiere. Leipzig : Reclam xvi 1270 pp. [350] [errore for Chelonia caouana (Lacépède, 1788)].

  Secondary source:

   Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.
• Caretta atra Merrem, B. 1820. Versuch eines Systems Amphibien. Tentamen Systematis Amphibiorum. Marburg : Krieger xv 199 pp. [17].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, Ascension Is.
• Testudo corianna Gray, J.E. 1831. Synopsis Reptilium; or Short Descriptions of the Species of Reptiles: Cataphracta. Tortoises, Crocodiles, and Enaliosaurians. London : Treuttel, Würtz & Co. Vol. 1 viii 85 pp. [53] [errore for Testudo caouana Lacépède, 1788].
• Chelonia pelasgorum Bory de Saint-Vincent, J.B.G.M. 1833. Expédition scientifique en Morée, entérise et publée par ordre du gouvernement français. Travaux de la section des sciences physiques, sous la direction de M. le colonel Bory de Saint-Vincent. Paris : P. Bertrand Vol. 3(1) 209 pp. [64, pl. 6].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, from between Arcadia and the mouth of the Nea River, Greece.

  Secondary source:

   Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.
• Caouana elongata Gray, J.E. 1844. Catalogue of the Tortoises, Crocodiles, and Amphibians in the Collection of the British Museum. London : British Museum viii 80 pp. [53].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 1947.3.5.41, unknown; restricted to Ascension Is.

  Type locality references:

  Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.
• Thalassochelys corticata Girard, C. 1858. United States Exploring Expedition during the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, under the command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N.: Herpetology. Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott Vol. 20 xvi 496 pp. [431, pl. 29].

  Type data:

   Holotype USNM 7778, Funchal, Madeira.

  Secondary source:

   Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.
• Chelonia cahuano Tamayo, J.L. 1962. Geografía general de México. Tomo III. Geografía biológica y humana. México : Inst. Méx. Inv. Económicas 633 pp. [373] [errore for Chelonia caouana (Lacépède, 1788), see Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.].

  Secondary source:

   Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.
• Caretta careta Tamayo, J.L. 1962. Geografía general de México. Tomo III. Geografía biológica y humana. México : Inst. Méx. Inv. Económicas 633 pp. [373] [errore for Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758), see Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.].

  Secondary source:

   Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Wermuth, H. & Mertens, R. 1977. Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien; Testudines, Crocodylia, Rhynchocephalia. Das Tierreich 100: i-xxvii, 1-174
• Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.
• Cogger, H.G., in Cogger, H.G., Cameron, E.E. & Cogger, H.M. 1983. Amphibia and Reptilia. 313 pp. in Walton, D.W. (ed.). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 1 vi + 313 pp. [68]

 

Generic Combinations

• Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758).

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Also pan-tropical, extending into temperate waters, with occasional waifs in high latitudes.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IMCRA

Timor Transition (1), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition (32), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northwest Province (4), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41), Central Western Transition (5)

Ecological Descriptors

Aquatic, continental shelf, coral reef, migratory, noctidiurnal, oceanic, oviparous, piscivore, predator.

Extra Ecological Information

Seasonal breeder.

 

Common Name References

CAVS 2006. Census of Australian Vertebrate Species. Australian Biological Resources Study. (Loggerhead Turtle)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
08-Mar-2011		20-Aug-2013	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)