Cape Cormorant vs Leatherback Sea Turtle

Phalacrocorax capensis compared with Dermochelys coriacea

Key Differences

• Cape Cormorant is Endangered while Leatherback Sea Turtle is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cape Cormorant	Leatherback Sea Turtle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Suliformes (Suliformes)	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)
Family	Phalacrocoracidae	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
Genus	Phalacrocorax	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)
Species	Phalacrocorax capensis	Dermochelys coriacea

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Cape Cormorant

EN — Endangered

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cape Cormorant

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway. 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.

Cape Cormorant

The Cape Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis) is a species in the genus Phalacrocorax. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

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