Biomimetics: the turtle has inspired the construction of the u-cat undersea robot for observing different seabed environments without creating turbulence.
If present in sufficient numbers, loggerhead sea turtles can play an important part in controlling jellyfish populations; an adult loggerhead sea turtle can swallow several hundred Pelagia stinging jellyfish a day.
The loggerhead sea turtle is under threat on several counts: hunting, being accidentally caught in drift nets and the propellers of pleasure boats, tourism and urban development which are destroying their laying sites, etc.
NAUSICAA’s loggerhead sea turtle was born on 20 June 2011 in a partner institution. It is one of the first loggerhead sea turtles born in captivity in Europe, a major event for a species under such threat in the wild.
The temperature of the turtles’ habitat has an effect on the incubation time and sex of the embryos.
When the time comes to lay, they leave the water to dig a nest and then lay about a hundred eggs. Then then cover them up before returning to the sea. This operation generally takes less than an hour.
46 days: The incubation time for the eggs of the loggerhead sea turtle lasts between 46 and 71 days.
Crédits photo du bandeau : © Sophie Fallon
Crédits photo de la galerie : © Sophie Fallon / © S.Pannier
