Abstract
Fecal material from Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kenipii) captured at a Sabine Pass index habitat, adjacent to the southwest Texas-Louisiana border, was examined to describe this species'foraging habits in nearshore waters. Entanglement netting during April through November 1993 yielded 79 wild and 13 head started ridleys with the majority being < 40 cm straight carapace length. Fecal matter was collected from 86 ridleys (74 wild and 12 head start). Six food categories (crab, fish, mollusc, vegetation, debris, and other) comprised ridley fecal material. Crab (primarily blue crab) yielded the highest percent dry mass (61.57%) while vegetation (primarily Sargassum) exhibited the highest frequency of occurrence (91.86%). No significant difference was detected between wild and head started turtles with regard to frequency of occurrence of individual food categories. Young Kemp's ridleys forage both at the surface and on the bottom, and consume a wide variety of items.
Werner, Sarah Anderson (1994). Feeding ecology of wild and head started Kemp's ridley sea turtles. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1994 -THESIS -W494.