Great Hammerhead vs Leatherback Sea Turtle

Sphyrna mokarran compared with Dermochelys coriacea

Key Differences

• Great Hammerhead is Critically Endangered while Leatherback Sea Turtle is Vulnerable.
• Leatherback Sea Turtle lives longer (50 years vs 40 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Great Hammerhead	Leatherback Sea Turtle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)
Family	Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead Sharks)	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
Genus	Sphyrna (Hammerhead Sharks)	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)
Species	Sphyrna mokarran	Dermochelys coriacea

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Great Hammerhead

CR — Critically Endangered

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Great Hammerhead	Leatherback Sea Turtle
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	40 years	50 years
Average Length	5.0 m	2.0 m
Average Weight	450.0 kg	500.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Great Hammerhead

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Taiwan, and Venezuela. Currently classified as Critically 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.

Great Hammerhead

The largest hammerhead shark species, great hammerheads reach up to 6 meters and are found in tropical and subtropical coastal waters worldwide. Their distinctive T-shaped head (cephalofoil) dramatically increases sensory surface area for electroreception, enabling them to detect buried stingrays through sand with exceptional precision — stingrays are a preferred prey. Critically Endangered, with populations declining dramatically due to highly valued fins and bycatch mortality.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

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