Bastard Turtle May 2026

: In 1880, it was formally named Lepidochelys kempii after Richard Kemp, who sent the first specimens to Harvard for study.

While it is now recognized as its own distinct and critically endangered species, the nickname persisted for decades. bastard turtle

: For a long time, no one could find where these turtles nested, which fueled the theory that they were sterile hybrids that didn't reproduce. : In 1880, it was formally named Lepidochelys