COLUMBIA, S.C. - New Endangered Species license plates featuring the loggerhead turtle go on sale this week at Division of Motor Vehicle offices across the state.

The Natural Resources Department conducted a vote last year to pick the second species for the special plates.

The loggerhead turtle easily outdistanced the Rocky Shoals spider lily and the swallow-tailed kite.

The bald eagle was the first featured species and was retired after 10,000 license plates were sold in eight years.

The endangered species plates cost $24 plus the standard passenger vehicle fee of $24 for a new plate.

Proceeds go to the Natural Resources Department's Heritage Trust program, which works to preserve the habitats of rare species.

The loggerhead is a threatened species, one step down from the endangered classification.

Female loggerheads lay eggs on beaches throughout the Southeast.

Information from: The State