The Kemp's Ridley got its name partly from Richard M. Kemp, who discovered this turtle and helped study it. No one knows where the "ridley" part came from, although according to the Caribbean Conservation Corporation, Dr. Archie Carr gave it the name "ridley" because this tiny turtle was such a mystery--a riddle.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
You cannot just sit there and read this, you must go and physically do this to understand it. Take a handful of Sweet Tarts (or Smarties) and hold them in one hand. Holding them? Okay, good. This is how much a hatchling Kemp's weighs.
Basically, the point I am trying to get across is that the Lepidochelys kempii is a tiny turtle, the smallest one in existence. An adult's grayish-olive carapace measures about 65 cm in length and almost that much in width, and this turtle weighs in at an average of 65 kg. Okay, I realize that was mostly "size" which belongs under the next section, but so what.
NESTING:
This is where it gets dire. The Kemp's ridley only nests on one beach in the entire world, Rancho Nuevo, Mexico. This is like if every human in the world lived in a tiny frontier village, exposed to all threats. Only 580 female Kemp's nested in 1995, what do you think of that? Especially since in 1947 there were over 40,000 ridleys reported nesting The nesting season runs April through July.
FEEDING:
Crabs. More crabs. Get the picture?
Actually, Kemp's are known to also eat mussels and shrimp. But not often. They are definitely carnivorous, with powerful jaws resembling the loggerhead jaws.
HABITAT:
Rancho Nuevo, Mexico, is the only known nesting beach. The Lepidochelys kempii prefers shallow, muddy-bottomed areas. Mostly, adults stick to the Gulf of Mexico, although some juveniles venture out into the Atlantic.
MAJOR THREATS: Shrimp trawling. In fact, it's such as major threat that I'm going to say it again:
SHRIMP TRAWLING
Not enough fishermen are using TEDs (Turtle Excluder Devices) on their boats to protect this deeply endangered marine turtle. The other major threat is anything happening to Rancho Nuevo. If a hurricane, which is a natural disaster, or an oil spill, which is not, were to occur...I'll let your imagination conjure up what would happen. In fact, there has already been an oil spill there, in 1979. And the beach still remains vulnerable.
Think about this.
It makes a person wonder, this living being is so...awesome, why are we killing it?
That's what I'm asking you.
WHY DO HUMAN BEINGS KILL TURTLE BEINGS??????
