Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Vertebrate > reptile > Turtle |
| Red List Status: | (Not Relevant) [(not listed)(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Caretta caretta |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | (not listed) |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | C. caretta is not generally regarded as a regular visitor to UK waters; rather it occurs as a vagrant, typically cold-stunned juvenile individuals that have been carried in currents from warmer areas. Animals encountered in UK waters are typically either repatriated overseas or taken into long-term captivity. Whilst action to rescue injured, stranded or stunned individuals is entirely warranted on welfare grounds, and monitoring should continue, there is minimal justification for concerted recovery action in UK waters. Even with anticipated increases in sea water temperatures, it is unlikely that the species would change status to a UK native in the near to medium term. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | N/A as no recovery action proposed |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | N/A |
Species Assessment
Not relevant as no Key Actions defined.
Key Actions
No Key Actions Defined
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.