Brown stingray vs Leatherback Sea Turtle

Hemitrygon akajei compared with Dermochelys coriacea

Key Differences

• Brown stingray is Near Threatened while Leatherback Sea Turtle is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brown stingray	Leatherback Sea Turtle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)
Family	Dasyatidae	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
Genus	Hemitrygon	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)
Species	Hemitrygon akajei	Dermochelys coriacea

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Brown stingray

NT — Near Threatened

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brown stingray

Habitat

Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Brown stingray

The Brown Stingray (Hemitrygon akajei) is a species in the genus Hemitrygon. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

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