Padre island national seashore sign9/12/2023 ![]() ![]() Historic population: At least 40,000 females nesting in Mexico annually in the 1940s (National Marine Fisheries Service et al. Nesting season: Mid-March through August females nest every 1-3 years and can lay 1-4 clutches in one nesting season each nest contains an average of 100 eggs that take 6-8 weeks to hatch (Shaver 1992, National Marine Fisheries Service et al. 2011, National Marine Fisheries Service et al. Lifespan: Unknown reach sexual maturity at 10-16 years (Caillouet et al. Diet: Primarily crabs, as well as fish, sea jellies, and mollusks (Shaver 1991, National Marine Fisheries Service 2020) ![]() 2007, Shaver and Rubio 2008, National Marine Fisheries Service et al. ![]() Non-nesting Range: Juveniles occur in nearshore waters along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coasts as far north as Nova Scotia a few juveniles have been recorded in Europe adults occur in nearshore waters along the Gulf of Mexico coast from Florida to the Yucatan Peninsula (Shaver et al. states (National Marine Fisheries Service et al. 2011).Ĭurrent Nesting Range: Currently, nesting occurs on Gulf of Mexico beaches from Bolivar Peninsula, Texas to Vera Cruz, Mexico 95% of worldwide nesting occurs in Tamaulipas, Mexico each year a few nests are found in other U.S. Historic Nesting Range: Historically, nesting occurred on Gulf of Mexico beaches from Mustang Island, Texas to Vera Cruz, Mexico the vast majority of nesting occurred in Tamaulipas, Mexico nesting was first documented in both Mexico and Texas in the 1940s (National Marine Fisheries Service et al. 2011)Ĭoloration: Hatchlings are charcoal gray adults are olive green above and yellow below ![]() Size: Adult carapace (upper shell) length is 24-28 inches (60-70 cm) (National Marine Fisheries Service 2020)Īdult weight: 70-100 pounds (32-45 kg) (National Marine Fisheries Service et al. Species: Kemp’s ridley ( Lepidochelys kempii) The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is unique from other sea turtle species because it nests during the day and nests in group events called “arribadas.” Find out more interesting facts about the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle below! Padre Island National Seashore holds 20-25 public releases of Kemp’s ridley hatchings each year and this is the most popular interpretive program held at the park, with hundreds to more than 1,000 people attending each release. Padre Island National Seashore, the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island beach in the United States, is the perfect location for the ongoing establishment of a secondary nesting colony. Though their main nesting beach is in Mexico, more Kemp’s ridleys nest at Padre Island National Seashore than any other place in the United States. Shaver, our Division Chief, has spent the last 40 years helping with these efforts, which include a program to increase nesting at Padre Island National Seashore and form a secondary nesting colony of this species here as a safeguard against extinction. Its mission? To save the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle species from extinction. Since the mid-1970s, the National Park Service at Padre Island National Seashore has been an integral member of the bi-national, multi-agency Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Recovery Program. In Texas, Kemp’s ridley sea turtles occur in nearshore Gulf of Mexico waters, bays, and passes, where they feed mostly on crabs, and occasionally fish, sea jellies, and mollusks. Adults are 2 feet long and weigh only 70-100 pounds. Kemp’s ridleys are the smallest and most critically endangered sea turtle species. ![]()
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