: the largest existing sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) distinguished by its flexible carapace composed of a mosaic of small bones embedded in a thick leathery skin
Illustration of leatherback
Examples of leatherback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebPlastic bags are often mistaken for jellyfish by leatherback turtles and consumed.—Kurt Snibbe, Orange County Register, 18 Apr. 2024 The nesting season for leatherback sea turtles runs from March to July.—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2024 This year, officials said six whale entanglements have been confirmed, and a dead Pacific leatherback sea turtle that got snarled in old gear from a previous year was discovered off the Farallon Islands on Nov. 24.—Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024 While snorkeling, other marine marvels include Great Barracudas and graceful leatherback turtles, to dozens of other fish.—Claire Volkman, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2024 This season, California officials said six whale entanglements have been confirmed, and a dead Pacific leatherback sea turtle that got snarled in old gear from a previous year was discovered off the Farallon Islands on Nov. 24.—Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2024 Once common all over the world’s oceans, leatherbacks now exist in only seven populations worldwide.—Nina Burleigh, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024 Despite this, Trail hypothesizes that leatherback vision was adapted for their lives as adults, with those later-life benefits coming at the cost of early-life struggles.—Darren Incorvaia, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2022 Four other sculptures, created by Grenadian artist Troy Lewis, were also installed, including one depicting the endangered leatherback turtle.—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leatherback.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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