Leatherback Sea Turtle vs small-leaf cotoneaster

Dermochelys coriacea compared with Cotoneaster microphyllus

Key Differences

• Leatherback Sea Turtle is Vulnerable while small-leaf cotoneaster is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Leatherback Sea Turtle	small-leaf cotoneaster
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)	Rosales (Roses & Allies)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Cotoneaster
Species	Dermochelys coriacea	Cotoneaster microphyllus

Conservation Status

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

small-leaf cotoneaster

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Leatherback Sea Turtle	small-leaf cotoneaster
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.

small-leaf cotoneaster

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand).

Leatherback Sea Turtle

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