Leatherback Sea Turtle

leatherback sea turtle, (Dermochelys coriacea), also called leatherback turtle or leatherback, species of sea turtle notable because it lacks scales and a hard shell. It sports a bony carapace covered with black or brown skin with a texture similar to leather, which gives the turtle its name. It is the only member of the turtle family Dermochelyidae. The leatherback sea turtle lives in the world’s temperate and tropical oceans, from the high seas to intertidal habitats. It is the largest turtle species in the world, and it is both the widest-ranging reptile and one of the widest-ranging vertebrates in the world.