<tr><td>Kingdom:<td>Animalia
<tr><td>Phylum:<td>Chordata
<tr><td>Class:<td>Reptilia
<tr><td>Order:<td>Testudines
<tr><td>Family:<td>Dermochelyidae
<tr><td>Genus:<td>Dermochelys
<tr><td>Species:<td>D. coriacea
</table>
<tr><th bgcolor=pink>Binomial name
<tr><td align="center">Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761)
</table>
The Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the biggest of all turtles alive, reaching a length of 2 metres and a weight of up to 600 kg. It is found in all tropic and subtropic oceans. It is the only species in the family Dermochelyidae.
This species of sea turtle has a rather unique thermal physiology. Its metabolic rate is approximately 3 times higher than one would expect for a reptile of its size, which, coupled with counter-current heat exchangers and large size, allow it to maintain a body temperature above that of the surrounding water.
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