Name Derivation:
The turtle was named after Richard M. Kemp, the fisherman who first discovered and studied the sea turtle. The origin of the name Ridley is unknown but it is thought that they are called ridley's because of their similar nesting behavior as the olive ridley, which is another type of Sea Turtle.
Their Discovery
The turtle was first discovered in the nearshore and inshore waters of the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat
They live primarily in the coastal waters off the Gulf of Mexico as well at the nothern Atlantic Ocean. They flourish most along the coasts of Florida, Georgia, Texas and Louisiana. They prefer shallow waters to deeper waters where food is more available to them. They also prefer areas that are muddy and sandy where their prey can be found.
Characteristics:
They typically grow to be between 27-32 inches long and weigh on average between 75-100 pounds. The baby turtles are born about 2 inches long and are a jet black color while adult Kemp Ridley's carapaces (upper shell) are typically olive-gray and their plastron (lower shell) is white to yellowish. They have a triangular shaped head, streamlined shells, and appendages shaped like flippers. The Kemp Ridley Sea Turtle is the smallest of Sea Turtles
Reproduction
Kemp Ridley's gather and nest offshore between the months of April and June. A popular nesting spot is off the short of a beach in Mexico called Rancho Nuevo. This event is called "arribada" (which means arrival in Spanish). 95% of worldwide Ridley's reproduction occurs on this beach. The rest of the turtles usually nest in other shores in Veracrus, Mexico as well as Padre Island National Seashore in Texas. They mature sexually between 7 and 15 years of age. After mating, the female Kemp ridley returns back to the nest where they were hatched (due to imprinting) during the daylight and lay up to 2-3 cluthes of eggs, which result in about 100 eggs. These eggs take about 50-60 days to hatch, and once they do, baby sea turtles make their way to the shoreline where some get lucky and are taken into the ocean. Others aren't so successful in making it to shore.
Diet
Their diet consists mainly of swimming crabs, fish, jellyfish, mullusks, mussels, shrimp, sea urchins and squid. They use their powerful jaws to crush up and grind all of their prey.