Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 108 , December 2013, pp. 1-25. | страница 9

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The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is freed from the fishing net on the coast of Gaza, State of Palestine. 28.08.2013. Photo by Ihab Fasfous (Dunya Al Watan, 2013).

Ecology and Behaviour
Loggerhead sea turtles observed in captivity and in the wild are most active during the day. In captivity, the loggerheads' daily activities are divided between swimming and resting on the bottom. While resting, they spread their forelimbs to about mid-stroke swimming position. They remain motionless with eyes open or half-shut and are easily alerted during this state. At night, captives sleep in the same position with their eyes tightly shut, and are slow to react. Loggerheads spend up to 85% of their day submerged, with males being the more active divers than females. The average duration of dives is 15–30 min, but they can stay submerged for up to four hours. Juvenile loggerheads and adults differ in their swimming methods. A Juvenile keeps its forelimbs pressed to the side of its carapace, and propels itself by kicking with its hind limbs. As the juvenile matures, its swimming method is progressively replaced with the adult's alternating-limb method. They depend entirely on this method of swimming by one year old (Wikipedia). Water temperature affects the sea turtle's metabolic rate. Lethargy is induced at temperatures between 13 and 15°C (55 and 59°F). The loggerhead takes on a floating, cold-stunned posture when temperatures drop to around 10°C. However, younger loggerheads are more resistant to cold and do not become stunned until temperatures drop below 9°C. The loggerheads' migration helps to
Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 108 – December 2013