Loggerhead sea turtles are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and in the Mediterranean Sea. They prefer course-grained, steep-sloped beaches to nest on, and coral reefs, rocky places, and shipwrecks to feed. Baby loggerheads are protected in sargassum, which is brown seaweed forming large, floating masses. Loggerheads like to eat mollusks, horseshoe crabs, sea urchins, and conch. They use their heads to dig around, and their sharp jaws to crush their food. It is hard work for each turtle to get their meals.
The infants' dangers are raccoons, birds, fish, and artificial lights on the beach.(When the babies hatch, they will head toward the brightest light on the horizon. If the city lights are brighter than the sun, the babies will head in the wrong direction and die.) Sharks and man are a danger to loggerheads of all ages. Fishing gear, boat propellers, and pollution also threaten loggerheads. A loggerhead's main defense is it's shell. The shell is tough, and hard to break through, and it also makes a great hiding place for loggerheads. Some humans hunt loggerheads for their leather, while others protect them by setting up laws for them (such as making it illegal to hunt sea turtles), and rescuing ones that are injured or in danger. Loggerheads have a dangerous life and need lots of protection to survive.
Loggerheads have a long life cycle. After they are laid, they remain eggs for fifty-five to sixty days. Then, they are called hatchlings until they are eighteen inches, and after that, they are juveniles for five to twenty years. They finally become adults, and the females lay eggs every two to three years. Parents and their young never interact with each other, because the mother lays her eggs and leaves before they hatch. Loggerheads court each other when they are ready to mate, and males will mate with several different females. With enough luck and help, loggerheads will make it through life.
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