**2.4 Biogeography**

*Natural History and Ecology of Mexico and Central America*

**Domain Eukaryota** Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Reptilia Order Testudines Family Cheloniidae Genus *Lepidochelys* Species *kempii*

*Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) taxonomy [13].*

**2.2 Taxonomy and nomenclature**

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**2.3 Life cycle**

**Figure 2.**

**Table 1.**

The Kemp's ridley sea turtle presents characteristics that differentiate it from other species, in addition to its small size and restricted distribution, this species, nests during the day, and as with the olive ridley sea turtle nests on mass in a

*Pictures showing general morphology of Kemp's ridley. (A and B) general view; (C) Aeria l view; (D) Lateral* 

*view; and (E) Frontal view. Pictures courtesy: Fátima Y. Camacho-Sánchez.*

Globally the Kemp's ridleys sea turtle is represented by one unique population which presents one of the most restricted distributions of all sea turtle species. Kemp's ridleys are found primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and secondarily in the Atlantic Ocean, on the south-eastern coasts of the United States (USA). Approximately 70% of the population nests on a beach with a linear extension of 30.4 km, located in Rancho Nuevo, in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Ninety-seven per cent of the population lives in an area of 146 km that includes Rancho Nuevo beach and surrounding areas. A small proportion of the population is found on the coast of Veracruz, Mexico and the coast of Texas, USA (**Figure 1**). In southern Texas, South Padre Island is considered a secondary rookery for Kemp's ridley nesting after Rancho Nuevo [15].

On rare occasions, they are found off the coasts of Canada, Bermuda, Azores, Madeira and in the Mediterranean Sea [16]. However, the Gulf of Mexico is more than just the nesting ground for Kemp's ridley turtles. In addition to navigating neritic areas, both hatchling and juvenile Kemp's ridley turtles use oceanic areas of the Gulf of Mexico during their development, by entering the open ocean to forage. During migration, turtles can be found in the Northwest Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea (**Figure 2**), for example, Bermuda, Canada, France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom [13, 16].

The Kemp's ridley turtle shares many characteristics with other sea turtle species in terms of its life cycle. Female turtles nest on beaches, depositing their eggs beneath the sand. The eggs hatch after approximately 45–58 days and the hatchlings migrate to the sea. The following years are spent on foraging grounds where they develop into adults at which point, they return to their natal area to reproduce and nest. During the sea turtle lifecycles, three key phases occur, and these are divided by ecosystem: terrestrial phase, neritic phase, and oceanic phase.
