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The World of Leatherbacks Trivia Quiz

Leatherbacks...one of our planet's oldest species, and the largest species of turtle. Currently endangered, they are still one of the most interesting animals to ever appear on Earth. How much do you know about them?

A multiple-choice quiz by padfoot_prongs. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
padfoot_prongs

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
256,822

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
608

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The shell of a leatherback is soft.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. What is a leatherback's main food source? Hint

Small fish and plankton

Sea grasses and sea weeds

Insects

Jellyfish

3. Leatherbacks lay two types of eggs within their nests. While the majority are fertile and able to develop into turtle hatchlings, the rest are infertile. What are these eggs commonly called? Hint

Yolkless eggs

Softshell eggs

Dud eggs

Gastroliths

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. When the temperature in a nest is slightly lower than normal, hatchlings are more likely to be: Hint

male

temperature has no effect; they can be either

female

killed or damaged from lack of sufficient heat

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Leatherbacks nest most commonly in central America. What are they called in Spanish? Hint

Baula

Negra

Lora

Pacifica

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. A leatherback has a few, flat teeth to grind its food.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. A leatherback is unusual in that it lays both fertile eggs and infertile eggs. What is one theory for the purpose of the infertile eggs laid by a leatherback? Hint

not enough sperm to fertilise all eggs

to protect the nest

they may emit gases that warn off predators

as they are heavier, they drop to the bottom and provide a layer between sand and fertile eggs

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. If a leatherback turtle comes up to lay its nest, but fails to do so and instead returns to sea, what is this known as? Hint

A failed nesting

Disturbed nesting

A false lay

A false crawl

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. These sea turtles can be easily disoriented by too much/too many: Hint

loud noises

darkness

light

logs in their nesting path

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Leatherbacks undergo a process of internal fertilization, where they mate with several males to collect more sperm and increase genetic variation. What is this mating technique called? Hint

monogamy

polygamy

symbiosis

polyandry

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The shell of a leatherback is soft.

Answer: True

The leatherback takes its name from its soft shell, which is leathery in texture, unlike the hard shells of other species of sea turtles.

2. What is a leatherback's main food source?

Answer: Jellyfish

A leatherback feeds almost solely on jellyfish. Unfortunately, it can often mistake a floating plastic bag for the silhouette of a jellyfish, a leading cause for the turtle's status as an endangered species. So never throw your plastic bags in the ocean!

3. Leatherbacks lay two types of eggs within their nests. While the majority are fertile and able to develop into turtle hatchlings, the rest are infertile. What are these eggs commonly called?

Answer: Yolkless eggs

These eggs indeed contain no yolk, which is needed in order to grow a turtle embryo. They are also much smaller and harder in texture than the fertile eggs. While many theories exist, their exact purpose remains unknown. (Gastroliths are actually stones swallowed by some animals - dinosaurs to begin with - to aid digestion of food).

4. When the temperature in a nest is slightly lower than normal, hatchlings are more likely to be:

Answer: male

Leatherback nests vary in temperature; a cooler nest will tend to produce more males, whereas a warmer nest is more likely to produce females. Long-lasting temperature changes can be dangerous, as they may skew the gender balance in the species.

5. Leatherbacks nest most commonly in central America. What are they called in Spanish?

Answer: Baula

A 'lora' is an olive ridley sea turtle; a 'Negra' is a black sea turtle (also known as green Pacific).

6. A leatherback has a few, flat teeth to grind its food.

Answer: False

A leatherback has no teeth at all; instead it has three sharp spines set in a triangular pattern inside its mouth that point down towards its stomach. When a leatherback consumes a jellyfish, the prey gets caught on the spines and is forced towards the stomach. Clever, huh?

7. A leatherback is unusual in that it lays both fertile eggs and infertile eggs. What is one theory for the purpose of the infertile eggs laid by a leatherback?

Answer: to protect the nest

Several theories exist for the yolkless eggs - they may aid in temperature control of the nest or they may protect the fertile eggs by acting as a decoy from predators or absorbing excess gases. Still, an egg has only 1 in 1000 chance of surviving naturally - before human impact.

8. If a leatherback turtle comes up to lay its nest, but fails to do so and instead returns to sea, what is this known as?

Answer: A false crawl

Turtles can false crawl for several reasons, but it is most often caused by a disturbance of some sort. Most will return the next night to reattempt the nesting.

9. These sea turtles can be easily disoriented by too much/too many:

Answer: light

Turtles are highly sensitive to light, which can disorient them when trying to find their path back to the sea. It can be a large problem for the hatchlings, which depend on the subtle light emitted by the sea to find their way back. Artificial light sources thus confuse them.
On an interesting side note, leatherbacks have the strength to ram most logs out of their way!

10. Leatherbacks undergo a process of internal fertilization, where they mate with several males to collect more sperm and increase genetic variation. What is this mating technique called?

Answer: polyandry

Not much is known about male leatherback turtles, which disappear into the ocean immediately after birth and do not come back to land to nest, as the females do. We do know, however, that more than one male will mate with a single female during the period she is in season. Poly = many and andres = men, literally meaning 'many men' - an apt description of these turtles' reproduction!

Source: Author padfoot_prongs

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