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Category: Plant / AnimalPhoto Title: Loggerhead Crawl and Body PitCD Name: FOMA none
Scientific Name: Caretta carettaOriginal File Size: 3264 x 2448 pixelsCommon Name: Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Photographer: B. FlemingDate photo taken: 2015-06-21
Comment: First nest of 2015, and was found on inlet beach.
Loggerhead+Sea+Turtle (<I>Caretta caretta</I>), Fort Macon State Park, North Carolina, United States
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Photo 1   HABE  
Photo 2   HABE  
Photo 3   FOMA  Turtle Crawl and Body Pit
Photo 4   FOMA  

Photo 5   FOMA  Tracks show a non-nesting emergence from a female Loggerhead. This is known as a "False Crawl".
Photo 6   FOMA  Closeup of crawl.
Photo 7   FOMA  Crawl and Body Pit with nest.
Photo 8   FOMA  Body Pit with nest

Photo 9   FOMA  Tracks from hatchlings emergence from nest. Protected wire screening is visible over nest cavity. The wire helps prevent most mammalian disturbance to the nest and hatchling emergence is not affected if the proper wire and methods are used.
Photo 10   FOMA  First glimpse of daylight.
Photo 11   FOMA  Head of Hatchling
Photo 12   FOMA  Hatchling

Photo 13   FOFI  
Photo 14   FOFI  
Photo 15   FOFI  
Photo 16   FOMA  Loggerhead Eggs - Egg on right typical size. Egg on left smaller than normal.

Photo 17   FOMA  Ranger John Fullwood relocating a nest from an area known to be susceptible to erosion.
Photo 18   FOMA  Turtle nest locations marked to protect from foot traffic
Photo 19   FOMA  Ranger Scott Crocket explaining the post-hatching nest excavation and analysis process to a park visitor. Analysis showed 150 eggs hatched out of 155 eggs.
Photo 20   FOMA  Nest predation from Red Fox

Photo 21   FOMA  Turtle egg sliced open by a Fox's claw.
Photo 22   FOMA  
Photo 23   FOMA  Nest erosion caused by Hurricane Bill on August 22, 2009 Protective wire was washed away during storm. Wire can be seen at base of dune on right side of photo.
Photo 24   FOMA  Nest erosion caused by Hurricane Bill on August 23, 2009. Turtle egg can be observed on surface.

Photo 25   FOMA  Nest
Photo 26   FOMA  Turtle Crawl on Beaufort Inlet approximately 100 yards across the beach
Photo 27   FOMA  Loggerhead Tracks. Fort Macon in background.
Photo 28   FOMA  Park beaches are patrolled daily by Division employees to locate and protect sea turtle nest.

Photo 29   FOMA  Nest dug up by Fox.
Photo 30   FOMA  
Photo 31   HABE  Nest #16, 5am, 2011 Third Place Winner, Superintendents Conference Photo Contest
Photo 32   FOMA  

Photo 33   FOMA  First nest of 2015, and was found on inlet beach.
Photo 34   FOMA  Ranger Ben Fleming relocating a Loggerhead nest from an area known to be susceptible to erosion. Participants in the Park's JR Ranger Program assisting and being educated about the life history of the Loggerhead turtle by Ranger Flemming.
Photo 35   FOMA  Ranger Ben Fleming relocating a Loggerhead nest from an area known to be susceptible to erosion. Participants in the Park's JR Ranger Program assisting and being educated about the life history of the Loggerhead Turtle by Ranger Flemming
Photo 36   FOMA  Nest 15-006

Photo 37   FOMA  Nest 15-006. What an awesome job we Rangers have.
Photo 38   FOMA  2nd place people in parks category 2015 Superintendents Conference Photography Contest
Photo 39   FOMA  6 Live Hatchlings from Nest 1 2016 FOMA
Photo 40   FOMA  Polaris and Loggerhead Tracks for Nest 2 2016- FOMA

Photo 41   FOMA  Polaris and Nest 2 2016 Marked
Photo 42   HABE  
Photo 43   HABE  
Photo 44   HABE  

Photo 45   HABE  nest inventory
Photo 46   FOMA  
Photo 47   FOMA  
Photo 48   FOMA  Hatchling breaking through to the surface.

Photo 49   FOFI  
Photo 50   FOFI  
Photo 51   FOMA  
Photo 52   FOMA  False Crawl

Photo 53   FOMA  False Crawl
Photo 54   FOMA  Baby found with undeveloped front flipper. Found on stormy day so taken to Aquarium for rehab. It was released later offshore by Coast Guard.
Photo 55   FOMA  Ghost Crab (Ocypode quadrata) dug into Loggerhead Sea Turtle nest and pulled hatchling out of nest. Turtle was still alive, taken to NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores for Rehabilitation. Wire on nest to keep large predators from digging into nest. Wire must be large enough for hatchling to escape, which allows for occasional predication from animals like Ghost Crabs.
Photo 56   FOMA  White Loggerhead Hatchling from FOMA Nest 20-007

Photo 57   FOMA  White Loggerhead Hatchling from FOMA Nest 20-007
Photo 58   FOMA  Hatchling had flipped on back while crawling to the ocean and was unable to flipped back over. Hatchling was released into the ocean.
Photo 59   FOMA  nest and track
Photo 60   FOMA  

Photo 61   FOMA  
Photo 62   FOMA  
Photo 63   FOMA  
Photo 64   FOMA  

Photo 65   FOMA  
Photo 66   FOMA  
Photo 67   FOMA  
Photo 68   HABE  

Photo 69   FOMA  Coyote tracks on crawl and nest