Leatherback Sea Turtle vs Smooth Map Lichen

Dermochelys coriacea compared with Rhizocarpon hochstetteri

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Leatherback Sea Turtle	Smooth Map Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Fungi (เห็ดรา)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Reptilia (สัตว์เลื้อยคลาน)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Testudines (เต่า)	Rhizocarpales (Rhizocarpales)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Rhizocarpaceae
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Rhizocarpon
Species	Dermochelys coriacea	Rhizocarpon hochstetteri

Conservation Status

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Smooth Map Lichen

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Leatherback Sea Turtle	Smooth Map Lichen
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.

Smooth Map Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across 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.