Leatherback Sea Turtle vs Scarlet Macaw

Dermochelys coriacea compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Leatherback Sea Turtle is Vulnerable while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.
• Leatherback Sea Turtle is carnivore while Scarlet Macaw is herbivore.
• Leatherback Sea Turtle is 500.0x heavier than Scarlet Macaw.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Leatherback Sea Turtle	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Dermochelys coriacea	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Leatherback Sea Turtle	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	Carnivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	50 years	50 years
Average Length	2.0 m	85 cm
Average Weight	500.0 kg	1.0 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.

Scarlet Macaw

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Population trends indicate a declining trajectory in parts of its range.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

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

Scarlet Macaw

One of the most brilliantly colored birds in the Americas, scarlet macaws display vivid red, yellow, and blue plumage with wingspans reaching 1 meter. Found in humid lowland forests from Mexico to Bolivia, they are highly intelligent, long-lived — up to 75 years — and form lifelong pair bonds. They travel long distances to clay licks where they consume mineral-rich soil to detoxify seeds. Listed as Least Concern but locally threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade.