Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Scenes from the video: Why is the
Kemp's Ridley endangered? How old can it live? Why does it like
to lay eggs when it's windy? Brenda Justice talks with TPWD
biologist Robert Adami who tells us this and more! Windows Media
| Real Media Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, found in coastal waters
and bays of the Gulf and in the Atlantic Ocean, is the smallest,
most endangered sea turtle. This reptile weighs 80 to 100 pounds
and grows to 30 inches long. Little is known about its life in
the open ocean. It prefers shallow waters close to shore where
it feeds on such things as crabs, snails, clams and some plants,
and often is caught and drowned in shrimp nets. Pollution, both
chemical and plastic, affect it. From April through August
females lay clutches of soft, white eggs in sandy beaches from
Veracruz, Mexico, to Corpus Christi, but few have nested on
Texas beaches in recent years. When the young hatch in 50 to 70
days, they head for the water. In some areas, this turtle and
its eggs are eaten b