A genus of sea turtles commonly known as loggerhead turtles, named for their relatively large heads.
From Spanish/Italian 'caretta' (small cart or wagon), derived from Latin 'carrum' (cart). The turtle was named for the shape of its head, which resembles a cart's yoke or the rounded front of a cart.
The loggerhead turtle's genus name, *Caretta*, comes from a word meaning 'little cart'—Linnaeus named it this way because of its boxy head shape, and now this 2,000-year-old Latin word for 'cart' helps us organize one of Earth's most ancient animals.
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