Special thanks to the photographers for providing images of Texas endangered and threatened plants. All rights to these images are reserved. Educational use permitted. Loggerhead Sea Turtles have characteristically large heads with powerful jaws. Although sea turtles are subject to predation throughout their life cycle, predation is particularly high during the first two years of life.
Highest predation occurs during incubation and during the race of the hatchlings to the sea.
The eggs are eaten by ghost crabs, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and dogs. Hatchlings are preyed upon by mammals, sea birds, crabs, and carnivorous fishes. Predation continues to be high until the turtles are big enough to avoid being swallowed by large carnivorous fishes such as groupers, snappers, and jacks. Sharks are a formidable predator throughout the life cycle of sea turtles, although larger turtles can often avoid a shark attack by presenting the flat side of the plastron or carapace to prevent biting. Until the 1970's, Loggerhead turtles were commercially harvested for their meat, eggs, leather, and fat.