It skin is made from carapace, which is leathery.
Life Cycle The life span of the leather-back turtle is 30 years. About 55-60 days after the female lays eggs, hatchling turtles emerge from their nests, head to the sea and follow ocean currents to nursery habitats, where they search for food and seek refuge from predators. Scientists refer to this time period as “the lost years”, since finding hatchlings to study in the open ocean is difficult. After 15-25 years leather-backs reach maturity. Mature female turtles return to their beaches for nesting, but adult male turtles live entirely at sea.
Behavior The leather-back turtle has two types of behavior: social and individual. They are not generally considered social animals; however, some do meet offshore. Sea turtles gather together to mate. Members of some species travel together to nesting grounds. Their social behavior is different then their individual behavior. Leather-backs follow a cycle with the daily rising and sinking with plankton and jellyfish. The turtles probably feed in the upper layers of water at night. As dawn approaches,their dives become deeper because the plankton and jellyfish go to deeper water, away from the light of day. The turtles go back to the surface at midday when the layer sinks beyond their typical diving range. As dusk approaches again, the turtles' dives become shallower as the layer rises.
Diet The leather-back has a diet of jellyfish, tunicates, and other soft-bodied animal. It is surprising that leather-back turtles can survive off of animals made of mostly of water and appear to be a very poor source of nutrition. They are carnivores and will usually be the predator.
Reproduction Leather-back turtles lay eggs which they bury under the ground. Females may lay eggs 4-5 times a season during local summertime. Each time laying 60-120 eggs. They are by themselves their whole lives until they mate between ages 15-25 yrs.