Leatherback Sea Turtle vs Sargasso Weed

Dermochelys coriacea compared with Sargassum natans

Key Differences

• Leatherback Sea Turtle is Vulnerable while Sargasso Weed is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Leatherback Sea Turtle	Sargasso Weed
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Chromista (Chromista)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ochrophyta (Ochrophyta)
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Phaeophyceae (Phaeophyceae)
Order	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)	Fucales (Fucales)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Sargassaceae
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Sargassum
Species	Dermochelys coriacea	Sargassum natans

Conservation Status

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Sargasso Weed

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Leatherback Sea Turtle	Sargasso Weed
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.

Sargasso Weed

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Norway, and Sao Tome and Principe.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

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