Nudibranch of the week!!!

Sea birds and marine reptiles

Marine Reptiles• 7000 living species• Poikilotherms • Ectotherms• First appeared more than 3MYA

Sea Turtles• An ancient group of reptiles• Bodies enclosed in a carapace• Sea turtles cannot retract heads

into shell• 9 species• Must return to land to

reproduce

Green Turtles, Chelonia mydas• Live primarily in warm waters• Shells grow 1m in length• Feed on seagrasses and

seaweeds• Lack teeth, have strong jaws

Leatherback Dermochelys coriacea• Largest sea turtle• May attain a length of 7ft and

weigh 1200lb• Have a series of small bones

buried in dark skin• An open water, deep diving

species• Diet consists of jellyfish• Endangered

Sea Turtle Reproduction• All sea turtles must return to land

to reproduce• Lay eggs on remote sandy beaches• DNA of turtles breeding in one

area differs from DNA of turtles breeding in another area• Females only venture at hight to

lay eggs• Incubation period is about 60 days• Hatchlings are very vulnerable

Sea Snakes• 55 species• Found in the Indian and Pacific

Oceans• Most are 3-4 feet • Ovoviviparous• Carnivores• Most common of all venomous

snakes• Rarely aggressive

Other Marine Reptiles• Saltwater crocodile• Inhabits mangrove swamps in

Eastern Indian Ocean, Australia, Western Pacific islands• Most common on coast• Record of one being 33ft, but on

average are 20ft. • Most aggressive of all marine

animals

• Marine iguana• Galapagos Islands• Spends most of its time basing in

large groups of rocks• Eats seaweeds• Can dive up to 33feet

Seabirds• Seabirds have significant advantages over

reptiles• Ability to fly• homeotherms• Eddotherms• Water proof feathers

• Nest on land• Breed in large colonies• Distributed pole to pole• 9700 species• Need a lot of food to supply energy to

maintain their body temperatures

Penguins• Flightless birds• Bones are denser than any other

bird to make diving easier• 18 species• All in live in the southern

hemisphere

Where Penguins Live

Tubenoses• A large group of seabirds with

distinctive tube like nostrils and heavy beaks that are curved• They have salt glands to get rid of

excess salt• Skilled fliers• Scavangers• Many breed in the area of

Anarctica• Faithful relationships

Pelicans and Related Birds• Webbing between all four toes• Pelicans have a unique pouch

below their beaks• Nest in large colonies• Deposits of guano are mined for

fertilizer• Build messy nests of twigs and

whatever else they can find

Gulls and Related Birds• Largest variety of sea birds• Will eat just about anything• The Arctic tern wanders 10000

miles during the year• Puffins and razorbills are also

related

Shorebirds• Wading birds that do not have

webbed feet• Many live inland• Common in estuaries and

marshes• Common examples• Plovers• sandpipers