| Diagnosis |
Body mass lower than 50,000 g. Carapace of adults are nearly round. Head: moderate-sized; subtriangular. Hatchlings: longer carapace and larger head. As it grows, carapace changes its shape and becomes a little wider. Head with 2 pairs of prefrontal scales. Carapace: with 5 central, 5 pairs of lateral and 12 pairs of marginal scutes; bridge areas have 4 scutes. Each with a pore which is the opening of the Rathke’s gland. This gland plays a pheromonal role in maintaining the integrity of the massed nesting assemblage of females just off the beaches in which it releases an odoriferous substance before and during their arrival. One visible claw on fore flippers; hatchlings show two, in rear flippers 1 or 2 claws. Color: in adults, plain olive-grey dorsally, white or yellowish underneath; in hatchlings, jet black when wet; changes significantly with age; after 10 months, plastron is nearly white. |