Loggerhead Sea Turtleアカウミガメ

Caretta carettaVU— Vulnerable

The loggerhead sea turtle is named for its unusually large head and powerful jaws, which it uses to crush hard-shelled prey like conchs and whelks. Found across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, it undertakes vast transoceanic migrations—hatchlings from Japanese beaches travel all the way to foraging grounds off Mexico. Classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, it faces threats from bycatch, coastal development, and nesting beach loss.

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (reference photo)
Photo: ukanda / CC BY 2.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification
Testudines / Cheloniidae Source
Distribution
Distributed throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea; in Japan, nesting beaches stretch from Kujukuri in Chiba Prefecture to Yakushima. Source

Did You Know?

  • The English name "loggerhead" refers to its unusually large head, reflecting the powerful jaws it uses to crush hard-shelled prey. Source
  • Hatchlings from Japanese nesting beaches are known to migrate across the entire Pacific Ocean to foraging grounds off Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. Source
  • Females lay 70 to 150 eggs per clutch and can produce one to five clutches within a single nesting season. Source

Where to See This Species

10 facilities · 0 individuals

How to tell Sea Turtles apart →

Port of Nagoya Public AquariumAichi地下鉄名港線「名古屋港」駅3番出口から徒歩5分（東山線「栄」駅または名鉄線・JR線「金山」駅で名港線に乗り換え）。

公式サイトで飼育・展示情報を確認できる（主な施設）。 Source

Kamogawa Sea WorldChiba東京駅から特急わかしおで約2時間、JR「安房鴨川」駅下車後、無料送迎バス（西口バス停発）で約10分。

公式サイトで飼育・展示情報を確認できる（主な施設）。 Source

むろと廃校水族館 (Murotohaikou Suizokukan)KochiOpened in 2018

むろと廃校水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

越前松島水族館 (Echizenmatsushima Suizokukan)FukuiOpened in 1959

越前松島水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

沖縄美ら海水族館 (Okinawachuraumi Suizokukan)OkinawaOpened in 2002

沖縄美ら海水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

下田海中水族館 (Shimodakaichuu Suizokukan)ShizuokaOpened in 1967

下田海中水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

Osaka Aquarium KaiyukanOsakaOpened in 1990

海遊館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

桐生が岡動物園 (Kiryuugaoka Doubutsuen)Gunma自動車の場合、カーナビ検索は「桐生が岡動物園」ではなく「桐生が岡遊園地」で設定すると駐車場に到着できる（動物園名で検索すると誤った経路になる場合がある）。

桐生が岡動物園のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

姫路市立動物園 (Himeji Shiritsu Doubutsuen)HyogoOpened in 1951

姫路市立動物園のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

日和佐うみがめ博物館カレッタ (Hiwasaumigame Hakubutsukan Karetta)TokushimaOpened in 1985

アカウミガメのWikipedia記事に飼育施設として記載 Source

Latest news

5

Open the news index

Source links to official sites, official YouTube channels, and news aggregators such as Zoo Ring. Visit the publisher for the full item.

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

IUCNで危急種（VU）。日本の太平洋沿岸は北太平洋で数少ない産卵地として世界的に重要。

Habitat

温帯〜熱帯の海。大きな頭と強いあごで貝やカニをかみ砕く。

Threats

  • 漁業による混獲
  • 産卵地の減少・砂浜の環境変化
  • 海洋汚染

Conservation & Breeding Efforts

  • 日本各地での産卵地保護と標識調査
  • 混獲回避の取り組み
  • 水族館での保護・飼育・普及

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org www.iucnredlist.org

Support Conservation

A visit is a small, positive way to support the daily lives of the animals you care about.

Visit
A visit itself helps support the facility.
Animal Supporter Programs & Giving
Find ways to support the facility through its official website.
Furusato Nozei
Municipally run facilities may share official guidance for this Japanese hometown-tax program.

FAQ

Why is it called the loggerhead sea turtle?
Its English name refers to its unusually large, block-shaped head, which houses powerful jaw muscles used to crush hard-shelled prey such as conchs and whelks. Source
How far do loggerhead sea turtles migrate?
Hatchlings from Japanese nesting beaches make one of the longest known sea turtle migrations, crossing the entire Pacific Ocean to feeding grounds off Mexico's Baja California Peninsula before eventually returning to breed. Source
How long do loggerhead sea turtles live?
In the wild they are estimated to live 47 to 67 years and take 17 to 33 years to reach sexual maturity; a captive individual hatched in 1950 was still alive at around 76 years old. Source

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org