EMYSystem Family Page: Dermochelyidae
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OrderOrder Testudines (turtles, tortoises and terrapins)
FamilyFamily Dermochelyidae (Leatherback Turtles)
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Original Description Fitzinger 1843 : 30
Synonyms Dermatochelydae (original name)
Common names Leatherback Turtles
Distribution All tropical and temperate oceans
Comments Smith and Smith (1979:231-233) and King and Burke (1989:27) explain the history of the family name. Reviewed by Smith and Smith (1979), Cogger et al. (1983), and Pritchard and Trebbau (1984). Frair (1979, 1982a) suggested that this family should be included as a subfamily in the Cheloniidae, but this has not been generally accepted (e.g., see Pritchard and Trebbau, 1984).
 
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