leatherback
2
7.0
- noun
- /ˈlɛðərˌbæk/
:
tortuga laúd
- Conservationists are working hard to protect the endangered leatherback, which faces threats from habitat loss.
- leatherback turtle
Examples
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The leatherback is the largest (450,635 kg) sea turtle.
Academic text (1994) -
That's big, but it's a far cry from the size of the leatherback sea turtle!
Blog text (2) -
I called Mass Audubon and reported the stranded leatherback turtle.
Blog text (5) -
Officials are still counting and double-checking reports but fear that more than twenty of the endangered leatherbacks have died in the region this summer.
Blog text (5) -
For example, the largest turtle—the leatherback sea turtle—lives in water.
Blog text (2) -
Leatherback sea turtles are among the world's largest reptiles, and adults commonly weigh in excess of 1,000 pounds.
Blog text (5) -
Biologists James Spotila, Frank Paladino, and Michael O'Connor discovered that the largest living sea turtle, the leatherback, has a metabolic rate nicely intermediate between those of typical reptiles and typical mammals.
Academic text (1991) -
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest living turtle, reaching lengths of up to seven feet.
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In the ocean, leatherbacks can dive to extraordinary depths in search of jellyfish.
Synonyms
1
5.0
A very large sea turtle with a soft, leather-like shell that swims long distances
A very large sea turtle with a soft, flexible shell instead of hard plates
A very large sea turtle with a soft, leathery shell that is the biggest living turtle
Compounds
1
5.0
A very large sea turtle with a soft, leather-like shell that swims long distances
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word leatherback joins the common words leather and back, literally meaning a 'leather back'. This name helps you remember that this sea turtle has a soft, leather-like shell on its back instead of a hard shell, which is why a leatherback is the largest living sea turtle.