This is the most common species of nesting turtles on Florida beaches. Florida alone has close to 90 percent of the nesting’s in the U.S. Loggerheads also nest farther up north than any other turtle species, there was even a record of a loggerhead nesting as far out as Ocean City, New Jersey!
The loggerhead is, not surprisingly, named for its large head. The loggerheads head may be up to ten inches across. This large head is due to its heavy jaw musculature and its hard shelled diet, which includes clams, conch, barnacles and other mollusks. They also eat crabs, shrimp, jellyfish, and sea grasses.

The loggerhead turtle is the second largest of the sea turtle species. Its shell usually has a length of 34 to 49 inches ( 86 to 124 centimeters). The loggerhead has a reddish brown shell and it is distinctive in that it has five or more costal plates on each side of the neurals. The underside (plastron) is yellow. Two pairs of large scales are located on top of the head between the eyes and the nostrils. Each of the loggerheads forelimbs has two claws. The male has a much longer tail which enables him to grasp the female during mating.

Loggerhead turtles mature between the ages of 20 and 30 years. The adults rarely weigh more than 350 pounds, although there are reports of giants weighing up to 500 pounds. Loggerhead turtles are believed to be capable of reproducing for as long as 30 years. Loggerhead nesting begins in the spring, extending from late April to September. An average clutch consists of about 100 eggs. The eggs will incubate for about 60 days before producing two inch long hatchlings that weigh only 3/5 of an ounce.

The loggerhead turtle is also distinct for a particularly unpleasant matter. Unlike other sea turtles, which are known to be gentle, loggerheads have been known to turn nasty when disturbed. A story in 1905 told of two men in a rowboat who tried to catch a 610 pound loggerhead. The angry turtle fought capture by using its flippers to nearly turn the boat on its side. It had also chewed the oars and tore at one mans arm. The turtle then swam away.