Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas · Reptile. Vertebrate. Cold-blooded. Wild.
Animal Family
Family: Cheloniidae, Order: Testudines, Class: Reptilia
Animal Category
Marine Animal. Endangered Species.
Breed / Variety
Green Sea Turtle (Atlantic and Eastern Pacific populations)
Conservation Status
IUCN Endangered. Population trend is decreasing. Threats include habitat loss, bycatch in fishing gear, illegal trade (eggs/meat), and plastic pollution.
About This Creature
A large sea turtle with a wide, smooth, heart-shaped carapace. Adults reach 3-4 feet in length and weigh 300-400 lbs. Despite its name, its shell is usually mottled brown or olive; it is named for the greenish color of its subdermal fat.
Physical Characteristics
Streamlined body with paddle-like flippers. The carapace has four pairs of lateral scutes. The head is relatively small with a single pair of prefrontal scales between the eyes. Beak is short and serrated to facilitate eating seagrass.
Behavior & Temperament
Solitary except during mating and nesting. Highly migratory, traveling thousands of miles between feeding and nesting grounds. Diurnal activity patterns. Females return to their own birth beaches to lay eggs.
Habitat & Diet
Origin Region
Found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, with major nesting sites in Costa Rica, Florida, Ascension Island, and Australia.
Habitat
Ocean and marine environments, including coastal seagrass beds, coral reefs, and open ocean. Aquatic (swimming) and terrestrial (nesting).
Diet & Nutrition
Herbivore as adults (primarily seagrass and algae); omnivorous as juveniles (jellyfish, crabs, sponges). Serrated jaw helps scrape and cut vegetation.
Lifespan & Health
Lifespan of 70-80 years or more. Sexual maturity reached between 20-50 years. Vulnerable to Fibropapillomatosis (a tumor-forming virus) and predation of hatchlings by birds and crabs.
Special Characteristics
Remarkable navigational abilities using the Earth's magnetic field. Culturally significant in many coastal societies. Known for 'crying' salt through specialized glands to regulate internal salinity.
Ecological Information
Acts as a primary consumer in the seagrass ecosystem. By grazing on seagrass, they maintain the health of the seagrass beds, which provide habitat for many fish and crustacean species.