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Australian Wildlife

  Flatback Turtle (Natator depressus)





Flatback Turtle | Natator depressus photo
flatback turtle hatchling going towards the sea

Image by Purpleturtle57 - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)







FLATBACK TURTLE FACTS

Description
A large-sized grey sea turtle with a flat shell. Usually grey or green above, with a white underside. Forearms are modified into large flippers. Maximum length 100 cm.

Endemic (lives nowhere else) to the northern and eastern Australian Coast. This species can be quite common in pristine coastal areas. Adults breed throughout their range and nest on sandy beaches. Up to 50 eggs are laid in a season.

Author credit: Dane Trembath / Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

Habitat
Coastal Marine.

Food
Omnivore

Range
Northern Australia.

distribution map showing range of Natator depressus in Australia

Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.


Species Description is from Museums Field Guide, Atlas of Living Australia at website at https://lists.ala.org.au Licensed under Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.




Classification
Class:Reptilia
Order:Testudines
Family:Cheloniidae
Genus:Natator
Species:depressus
Common Name:Flatback Turtle