Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 115, July 2014, pp. 1-9. | Página 2

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The loggerhead sea turtle is found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, as
well as the Mediterranean Sea. It spends most of its life in saltwater
and estuarine habitats, with females briefly coming ashore to lay eggs. The
loggerhead sea turtle has a low reproductive rate; females lay an average of four
egg clutches and then become quiescent, producing no eggs for two to three
years. The loggerhead reaches sexual maturity within 17–33 years and has a
lifespan of 47–67 years (Wikipedia, Khalaf 2013).
The loggerhead sea turtle is omnivorous, feeding mainly on bottomdwelling invertebrates. Its large and powerful jaws serve as an effective tool for
dismantling its prey. Young loggerheads are exploited by numerous predators;
the eggs are especially vulnerable to terrestrial organisms. Once the turtles reach
adulthood, their formidable size limits predation to large marine animals, such
as sharks (Wikipedia, Khalaf 2013).
Loggerheads are considered an endangered species and are protected by
the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Untended fishing gear is
responsible for many loggerhead deaths. Turtles may also suffocate if they are
trapped in fishing trawls. Turtle excluder devices have been implemented in
efforts to reduce mortality by providing an escape route for the turtles. Loss of
suitable nesting beaches and the introduction of exotic predators have also taken
a toll on loggerhead populations. Efforts to restore their numbers will require
international cooperation, since the turtles roam vast areas of ocean and critical
nesting beaches are scattered across several countries (Wikipedia, Khalaf 2013).
Among sea turtle species, the loggerhead (Caretta caretta Linnaeus, 1758) is the
most commonly found on the shores of Palestine. The main nesting grounds for
the Mediterranean population of this species are located along the shores of
Greece, Cyprus and Turkey (I.C.S.E.M. Report 1986). Until quite recently,
hundreds of nests were found each year along the Mediterranean coast of
Palestine. In the 1950's, some 200 nests with a density of about 15 nests per km
were recorded on 15 km of typical beach in the northern region of Palestine (Sella
1982). The picture has changed, however, during the last few decades. The latest
reports by the Israeli Nature Reserves Authority (Soffer 1988, Kuler 1990), and
the research results of Silberstein and Dmi'el (1991) show that the abundance and
density of nesting by this species has abruptly decreased. Along some 55 km of
coastline, which includes the surveyed area mentioned in Sella's report, only 10
nests were found in 1984, 14 in 1985, 16 in 1986, 16 in 1987, and 11 and 13 nests in
the years 1988 and 1989, respectively. Personal Reports also revealed a similar
situation on other Mediterranean beaches in Palestine (Silberstein and Dmi'el
1991).
In the framework of attempts to recover the loggerhead sea turtle in Palestine,
several aspects of its reproduction were investigated, with an emphasis on the
Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 115 – July 2014