Leatherback Sea Turtle
Dermochelys coriacea
Spanish: Laúd
The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), sometimes called the lute turtle or leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and is the fourth-heaviest modern reptile behind three crocodilians. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys and family Dermochelyidae. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell, hence the name. Instead, its carapace is covered by skin and oily... Most often recorded in Dec, Mar, Jul.
- 2026-03-10 — observation by olgajudith
- 2025-07-28 — observation by mkmalik
- 2021-12-29 — observation by yolcaquixtiani
- 2020-12-02 — observation by ali-tortuga
- 2017-12-21 — observation by caraguirre26
Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Turtles guide iNaturalist Wikipedia
Cite as: “Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/dermochelys-coriacea/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.