Leatherback Sea Turtle vs Raya

Dermochelys coriacea compared with Bathyraja schroederi

Key Differences

• Leatherback Sea Turtle is Vulnerable while Raya is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Leatherback Sea Turtle	Raya
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Reptilia (reptil)	Elasmobranchii
Order	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)	Rajiformes (Rajiformes)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Arhynchobatidae
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Bathyraja
Species	Dermochelys coriacea	Bathyraja schroederi

Evolutionary Relationship

Leatherback Sea Turtle and Raya share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (cordados)

Conservation Status

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Raya

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Leatherback Sea Turtle	Raya
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.

Raya

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Chile.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

La tortuga laúd es la tortuga viva más grande y el cuarto reptil más pesado. A diferencia de otras tortugas, posee un caparazón blando y coriáceo.