leatherback

Everyday

The leatherback turtle, the largest turtle in the world, a sea turtle whose shell is covered with tough, leathery skin instead of hard plates. tree →

In the lessons

In science and ocean lessons it is an endangered animal that eats jellyfish and can mistake plastic bags for them, so it shows why litter in the sea is dangerous. It swims very long distances and dives very deep. Phrases: leatherback turtle, leatherback sea turtle.

Examples

• The leatherback is the biggest turtle on Earth. tree →
• A leatherback can weigh as much as a small car. tree →
• Leatherbacks eat mostly jellyfish. tree →
• Plastic bags in the sea can kill a leatherback that thinks they are food. tree →
• Leatherback mothers come ashore at night to lay eggs in the sand. tree →
• The leatherback's shell feels like rubbery leather. tree →

Note

Countable. It is a compound of leather + back. A big leatherback can be about two metres long and weigh several hundred kilograms.