Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Caretta caretta
The loggerhead sea turtle, our state reptile, has a rich reddish-brown carapace and yellow plastron. The loggerhead’s large skull provides for the attachment of strong jaw muscles for crushing conchs and crabs. Loggerheads usually leave the cold coastal waters in the winter and are often seen along the western edge of the Gulf Stream. The major nesting area for the loggerhead in the western Atlantic is the southeastern United States. In South Carolina, the primary nesting beaches are between North Inlet and Prices’ Inlet, but other beaches in the southern part of the state also have moderate nesting densities. These are mainly undeveloped nesting beaches between Kiawah Island and Hilton Head. The nesting season runs from mid May to mid August. The average clutch size in South Carolina is 120 eggs. The average incubation duration is 55 - 60 days. The loggerhead is the most common sea turtle to strand in South Carolina and the nesting population has declined three percent per year since records began in 1980.
On July 28, 1978, the loggerhead sea turtle was designated as
threatened. In 1988,
a fifth grade class in the town of Ninety Six thought that if the
loggerhead turtle was the state reptile, it would bring more
attention to the plight of this threatened species and perhaps
help conservation efforts. They wrote letters to their state Senator,
Mr. John Drummond who introduced a bill in the legislature. They
also came as a class and displayed a banner from the balcony of
the Senate. The bill passed on the last day of the session.
The public is also asked to report mating loggerheads to
SCDNR. Please follow this link to the mating
loggerhead sighting form.
For a more comprehensive review, please read the Loggerhead Sea Turtle Conservation Sheet.