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Loggerheads on the Beach Trivia Quiz

While on vacation in Tybee Island, my family was lucky enough to watch newly-hatched loggerhead turtles make their way from the nest to the surf. That experience prompted me to write this quiz. I hope you enjoy it.

A multiple-choice quiz by tadpoles_uk. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
tadpoles_uk

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
384,134

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
229

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Where does a female loggerhead usually lay her eggs? Hint

Under a sand dune vegetation.

She drops them into the shallow surf and allows the wave action to carry them onshore.

In a nest that she digs at an elevation above high tide.

In the first sand castle she comes to on the beach.

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Question 2 of 10

2. When might a loggerhead nest be moved by turtle conservationists? Hint

If the neighbors complain.

When the nest is inconvenient to observers.

If the eggs are laid lower than high tide.

When close to recreation areas.

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Question 3 of 10

3. What determines the sex of loggerhead hatchlings? Hint

The incubation temperature in the nest.

Turtles don't decide their gender until later in life.

All nests naturally contain 60% females.

No one yet knows how the sex is determined.

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Question 4 of 10

4. After the loggerhead eggs are laid, how long does it take before they hatch? Hint

6-11 weeks.

20-22 weeks.

3-4 weeks.

Two years.

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Question 5 of 10

5. How large is a newly-hatched loggerhead? Hint

Less than one-quarter inch long.

Over six inches long.

About two inches long.

They hatch nearly fully grown.

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Question 6 of 10

6. How do loggerhead hatchlings know which direction to crawl to reach the sea? Hint

They can see starlight and/or moonlight reflecting off the water.

All nests are located west of the shoreline.

They instinctively walk downhill.

The mother leaves a scent for them to follow.

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Question 7 of 10

7. What kind of shoreline offers the best likelihood for baby loggerheads to safely reach the sea? Hint

An open sandy beach.

A popular resort area with multiple man-made structures.

One with a large population of sea birds.

A rocky shore that keeps predators away.

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Question 8 of 10

8. What color flashlight do conservationists use when observing hatchlings crawling to the ocean? Hint

Blue

Red

Green

White

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Question 9 of 10

9. What do conservationists do five days after the loggerhead nest hatches? Hint

Post a sign so other female turtles will use the same spot.

Carefully excavate the nest to rescue any remaining turtles.

Fill in the nest with gravel and smooth sand over the top.

Nothing, once a nest hatches the observers move on to other nests.

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Question 10 of 10

10. Once a female loggerhead hatches and successfully makes it into the ocean, how long will it take for her to return and lay her own clutch? Hint

About thirty-five years.

Loggerheads never return to their home beach.

Right at five years.

Over fifty years.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Where does a female loggerhead usually lay her eggs?

Answer: In a nest that she digs at an elevation above high tide.

The female crawls onto the beach during the night and digs her nest well above the high tide line. Sometimes, she will not find a suitable spot and will return to the sea without depositing eggs. This is called a "false crawl."

2. When might a loggerhead nest be moved by turtle conservationists?

Answer: If the eggs are laid lower than high tide.

Sometimes, the female loggerhead will establish her nest too close to the shoreline. If the nest gets inundated by surf periodically, the embryos will not develop.

When this happens in an area monitored by authorized turtle conservationists, they will carefully relocate the eggs to a new nest at higher elevation.
In the US, the active nests are marked with signs and caution tape to warn off the general public.

3. What determines the sex of loggerhead hatchlings?

Answer: The incubation temperature in the nest.

Eggs are dropped during the summer months when the weather is warm.
Hotter temperatures favor the formation of females, while cooler temperatures will produce a higher percentage of males.

4. After the loggerhead eggs are laid, how long does it take before they hatch?

Answer: 6-11 weeks.

The incubation period is variable, and is affected by the mother's biological make-up and the climate during incubation.

It can also vary by the latitude of the nesting area.

5. How large is a newly-hatched loggerhead?

Answer: About two inches long.

People wanting to observe the tiny hatchlings in their crawl to the sea must be careful not to step on them.

6. How do loggerhead hatchlings know which direction to crawl to reach the sea?

Answer: They can see starlight and/or moonlight reflecting off the water.

The turtles usually hatch at night, and the reflected light off the surface of the sea acts as a beacon.

This is why it is important to prevent other artificial light sources from interfering with the turtles' migration.

Hatching under the cover of darkness gives the young turtles the best chance of avoiding predators.

7. What kind of shoreline offers the best likelihood for baby loggerheads to safely reach the sea?

Answer: An open sandy beach.

The tiny loggerheads cannot climb well, so a smooth sandy beach is the easiest for them to traverse. Even a child's sand castle in the wrong spot can prevent a turtle from reaching its destination.

Sea birds pose the greatest danger to baby loggerheads on the beach.

8. What color flashlight do conservationists use when observing hatchlings crawling to the ocean?

Answer: Red

Red flashlights allow the observers to see well enough and do not interfere with the turtles' detection of the water.

The other colors listed can cause the Loggerheads to walk in the wrong direction and never reach their destination.

9. What do conservationists do five days after the loggerhead nest hatches?

Answer: Carefully excavate the nest to rescue any remaining turtles.

Five days after a nest hatches, authorized conservationists dig up the nest with care to see if any live turtles remain.

It is not unusual to find a few stragglers, and those are helped into the ocean.

They will clean up the nest, then cover it with sand and smooth it over.
The warning signs will be removed for use at other nesting locations.

10. Once a female loggerhead hatches and successfully makes it into the ocean, how long will it take for her to return and lay her own clutch?

Answer: About thirty-five years.

A female loggerhead reaches sexual maturity at about age thirty-five.
They return to their natal beach to drop their clutch, and will often return multiple times in the same season.

Source: Author tadpoles_uk

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rossian before going online.
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