Leatherback Sea Turtle vs

Dermochelys coriacea compared with Nitzschia angularis

Key Differences

Leatherback Sea Turtle is Vulnerable while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Leatherback Sea Turtle
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Chromista (Chromista)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ochrophyta (Ochrophyta)
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Bacillariophyceae (Bacillariophyceae)
Order	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)	Bacillariales (Bacillariales)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Bacillariaceae
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Nitzschia
Species	Dermochelys coriacea	Nitzschia angularis

Conservation Status

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

NE — Not Evaluated

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

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.

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

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

Nitzschia angularis is an elongated, pennate freshwater diatom with angular poles and a distinctive raphe positioned along the keel of the frustule. It inhabits eutrophic to mesotrophic freshwater environments including rivers, ponds, and nutrient-enriched lakes. This photosynthetic diatom is associated with moderately enriched freshwater conditions.