Kemp's Ridley is a critically endangered species of sea turtle. It is one of two living species in the genus Lepidochelys, the other one being L. olivacea, the Olive Ridley. It is also the rarest sea turtle. Kemp's Ridleyis the smallest living sea turtle, reaching maturity at 2 feet long and averaging only 45 kilograms (100 lb).
Kemp's Ridley sea turtles generally prefer warm waters but are known to inhabit the waters as far north as New Jersey, but return to the Gulf of Mexico. Almost all females return each year to a single beach in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas (Rancho Nuevo) to lay their eggs. In the past their numbers were severely depleted through hunting, but today major threats include loss of habitat, pollution, and entanglement in fishing/shrimping nets.
