What’s in a name? When it comes to sea turtles, it turns out, a pretty distinguishing trait.

“The animal kingdom is filled with plenty of common names, which may have been coined for a number of reasons, but could ultimately be considered misleading,” said SCCF Sea Turtle Biologist Jack Brzoza.

Think red panda — reddish in color, sure, but not a panda (they’re more closely related to raccoons and weasels). Or horned toads — horned? Yes. Toad? No. This animal is actually a lizard.

“When it comes to sea turtles however, their common names tend to be very fitting and characteristically accurate,” Brzoza said.

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)

Loggerheads are named for their large, “blocky” heads that house powerful, prey-crushing jaws. Compared to the other species, they have a much larger head in proportion to the rest of their body. Interestingly, the loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a bird that shares the “blockhead” moniker also due to its large head-to-body ratio.

Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)

Leatherbacks do not have a hard, bony keratinous shell like the other six sea turtle species. Rather, leathery skin (in appearance and texture) covers connective tissue and small interlocking dermal bones. 

Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)

The hawksbill turtle has a very pronounced, slightly curved and narrowed sharp beak, resembling those of birds of prey. 

Flatback (Natator depressus)

Flatbacks are named for their smooth and flattened carapace. They lack the dome-like appearance seen with the other sea turtle species.

Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

Kemp’s ridleys are named after Richard Kemp, a Key West native among the first to describe these turtles. The “ridley” portion is not as clear, but may be in reference to the word “riddle,” on account of the many unknowns surrounding these turtles when first discovered — were they hybrid turtles, where did they nest, why did they sometimes nest en masse?

Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacei)

“Olive” is in reference to the olive-green color of an olive ridley’s shell. It shares the latter half of its common name with the Kemp’s ridley — they are in the only genus of sea turtles with two surviving species.

Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

At first glance, this name may seem like an exception. At all life stages, green turtles do not display any strikingly green coloration on their shell, scales, or skin. However, their internal fat has a green hue due to their largely herbivorous diets. 

The majority of the sea turtle nests on Sanibel and Captiva are laid by loggerhead sea turtles. Green sea turtles also nest less frequently on our beaches, and very rarely we see a leatherback or Kemp’s ridley nest.

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