Size:  Between 53 and 70 inches (135-178 cm), weighing 650 to 1200 lbs (295-544 kg).
Description:  The largest living turtle in the world.  Seven longitudinal ridges can be found along the carpace, with five similar ridges on the plastron.  The turtle's shell is covered by a smooth skin, instead of the fragmented scutes found on most turtles.  Skin color ranges from black to dark blue, with occassional patches of white or pink.  Their flippers are very large and lack claws
Habitat:  While found in any salt water environment, leatherbacks spend most of their time far offshore.  Leatherbacks have a unique ability to maintain their internal body temperature much higher than the surrounding water, therefore they can tolerate a wide range of temperatures.
Range:  Along the Atlantic coast from New Foundland down to the southern tip of Florida.  North Carolina is its northern-most location for nesting.
Diet: Leatherback turtles feed almost exclusively on jellyfish.
Status:  Protected, under U.S. law, as an endangered species.

Range of the Leatherback Turtle in the Carolinas and Virginia