- Who
- leathery (leatherback) turtle Dermochelys coriacea
- What
- 35.28 kilometre(s) per hour
- Where
- Not Applicable ()
- When
The fastest reptile is the leathery (leatherback) turtle Dermochelys coriacea, a very large species of sea-dwelling turtle of global distribution, existing in marine waters as far north as Alaska and northernmost Norway and as far south as South Africa's Cape Agulhas and the southern tip of New Zealand's South Island. Although it typically swims at speeds of 1.8–10.08 km/h, it can achieve burst speeds of up to 35.28 km/h, as documented on one occasion with a frightened specimen.
Unlike all other sea turtles, this species lacks a bony shell, its dorsal surface being covered instead by thick ridged leather-like skin and oily flesh. Moreover, it is the only living member of an otherwise entirely extinct, prehistoric taxonomic family of sea turtles; all other species alive today belong to a second family, Cheloniidae.
