vs Leatherback Sea Turtle

Comatricha laxa compared with Dermochelys coriacea

Key Differences

• is Not Evaluated while Leatherback Sea Turtle is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Leatherback Sea Turtle
Kingdom	Protozoa (protozoa)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Mycetozoa	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Myxomycetes (Myxomycetes)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Stemonitidales	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)
Family	Stemonitidaceae	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
Genus	Comatricha	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)
Species	Comatricha laxa	Dermochelys coriacea

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Brazil).

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.

<em>Comatricha laxa</em> is a plasmodial slime mold in the class Myxomycetes, order Stemonitidales, with a documented distribution spanning Asia, Europe, and South America. As a member of the genus <em>Comatricha</em>, it forms stalked sporangia with a characteristic capillitium that forms a loose, open network aiding spore dispersal. The species inhabits rotting logs, dead bark, and moist leaf litter in forested environments where conditions support the plasmodial feeding stage. The plasmodium is a multinucleate, macroscopic structure that migrates over substrates to engulf bacteria and other microorganisms. Geographic range data confirm a wide cosmopolitan distribution in suitable habitats across three continents. <em>C. laxa</em> contributes to decomposition and nutrient cycling in woodland ecosystems. No quantitative biological metrics such as body size or mass are applicable to this organism, and it has not been evaluated by the IUCN.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

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