Bigeye thresher vs Leatherback Sea Turtle

Alopias pelagicus compared with Dermochelys coriacea

Key Differences

• Bigeye thresher is Endangered while Leatherback Sea Turtle is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bigeye thresher	Leatherback Sea Turtle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)
Family	Alopiidae	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
Genus	Alopias	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)
Species	Alopias pelagicus	Dermochelys coriacea

Evolutionary Relationship

Bigeye thresher and Leatherback Sea Turtle share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Bigeye thresher

EN — Endangered

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bigeye thresher	Leatherback Sea Turtle
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	2.0 m
Average Weight	—	500.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bigeye thresher

Habitat

Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Taiwan. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Neotropic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Trinidad and Tobago. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Bigeye thresher

The Bigeye thresher (Alopias pelagicus) is a species in the genus Alopias. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

The leatherback is the largest living turtle and the fourth-heaviest reptile. Unlike other turtles, it has a soft, leathery shell.