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California’s newest state animal could be the 2,000-pound sea turtle

February 22, 2012, www.latimesblogs.latimes.com | The world’s largest sea turtle could earn a new distinction from the California Legislature: the title of official state marine reptile.

A bill introduced Friday by Assemblyman Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) would add the endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle to a growing list of official state animals and plants such as the California quail (the state bird) the gray whale (state marine mammal), plants like the California poppy (state flower) and even extinct megafauna like the saber-toothed cat (the state fossil).

The symbolic measure, intended to raise awareness about the endangered species, comes as the federal government is setting aside 41,000 square miles of the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington as critical habitat for the sea turtles.

 

~ ENDANGERED “LEATHERBACK” SEA TURTLES (world’s largest, up to 8 ft long) WIN 42,000 SQ. MILES OF OCEAN PROTECTION along the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington, http://naturescrusaders.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/2-thumbs-up-award-leatherbacks-win/and have been nominated for California’s state marine reptile. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/2000-pound-leatherback-sea-turtle-could-be-californias-state-marine-reptile.html Here’s a map of their migration path all the way across the Pacific, http://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?Division=PRD&ParentMenuId=212&id=3994
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