Three satellite-tagged male loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) were released from the coastal waters of Satsuma Peninsula, Kyusyu, southwestern Japan (lat 31°42′N, long 130°18′E), and their movements were tracked for up to 449 d. Total distance traveled by the turtles ranged from 1540 to 5519 km. The turtles remained mainly along the coast and islands of the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan, except for spending a brief period of time (1–30 d) in the open ocean. The long-distance movement followed a seasonal pattern, evidently triggered by fluctuations in sea surface temperature.
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Chelonian Conservation and Biology
Vol. 14 • No. 1
June 2015
Vol. 14 • No. 1
June 2015
Caretta caretta
male
migration
Reptilia
sea surface temperature
Testudines: Cheloniidae