Take A Look Inside The Surprisingly Scary World Of Leatherback Turtle’s Mouth
- 8 years ago
A leatherback turtle’s fairly normal outer appearance belies the intimidating white spikes that line the inside of its mouth and throat; scientists believe the system is designed to capture the animal’s favorite prey, slippery jellyfish, and breakdown the tissue as it moves to the gut.
The leatherback turtle may not appear unusually intimidating on the outside, but the inside of its mouth is a different story.
While it does not have teeth, its mouth and esophagus are lined with sharp spines called papillae.
A photo posted to Facebook by Loggerhead Marina shows white spikes of different sizes jutting out from the turtle’s reddish mouth and throat cavity.
This system helps the reptile keep its primary prey--slippery jellyfish--in its mouth and break down the tissue as it travels to the gut, according to the Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
The Dodo notes that the leatherback would likely harm itself if it tried to eat animals with sturdier bodies.
Conservationists warn that the increasingly threatened turtle is known to confuse plastic bags for jellyfish so more protection efforts must be made.
The World Wildlife Fund estimates that there are only about 20,000 to 30,000 nesting leatherback females remaining on Earth.
The leatherback turtle may not appear unusually intimidating on the outside, but the inside of its mouth is a different story.
While it does not have teeth, its mouth and esophagus are lined with sharp spines called papillae.
A photo posted to Facebook by Loggerhead Marina shows white spikes of different sizes jutting out from the turtle’s reddish mouth and throat cavity.
This system helps the reptile keep its primary prey--slippery jellyfish--in its mouth and break down the tissue as it travels to the gut, according to the Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
The Dodo notes that the leatherback would likely harm itself if it tried to eat animals with sturdier bodies.
Conservationists warn that the increasingly threatened turtle is known to confuse plastic bags for jellyfish so more protection efforts must be made.
The World Wildlife Fund estimates that there are only about 20,000 to 30,000 nesting leatherback females remaining on Earth.