Green Sea Turtles

Chelonia mydas

By Kian Namiranian, Jada Nazarian, Sarah Ng and Pranav Pannala

Reasons for Endangerment/Human Impact
“Slaughtered for their eggs, meat, skin and shells, sea turtles suffer from poaching and
over-exploitation. They also face habitat destruction and accidental capture in fishing
gear. Climate change has an impact on turtle nesting sites.”

- World Wildlife Fund

Environment/Location
● Green Sea Turtles are mainly found in tropical and subtropical waters”
-World Wildlife Fund

● “Mainly stay near the coastline and around islands and live in bays and protected
shores, especially in areas with seagrass beds. Rarely are they observed in the open
ocean.”
- https://conserveturtles.org/information-sea-turtles-green-sea-turtle/
Predators
● Tiger sharks, other large sharks
● Eggs/Hatchlings- Fish, dogs, seabird, racoons, ghost crabs
Lifespan
The actual documentation of the age of any species of sea turtle is difficult. What we do
know is that sea turtles live a long time (some can live up to 50 years or more) and have
similar life spans to humans. Most marine turtles take decades to mature—between 20
and 30 years—and remain actively reproductive for another 10 years.

- World Wildlife Fund

Special Characteristics
● Sea turtles are characterized by a large, streamlined shell.
● Green sea turtles reach about 78 to 112 cm (31-44 in.) and 68 to 186 kg (150-410
lb.).
- The largest individual collected was 1.5 m (4.9 ft.) and 395 kg (871 lb.).
● The green sea turtle gets its name from the color of its body fat.
● Limbs are flippers adapted for swimming. Sea turtles are awkward and vulnerable on
land.
● Hind flippers serve as rudders, stabilizing and directing them as they swim. The hind
flippers of some species are good at digging nests in the sand.
● Long digits are yooooooofused throughout the flipper.
● Only one or two claws are present on each fore flipper.
Mating

● Male and female sea turtles do not differ externally until they approach maturity.
● Adult males have longer, thicker tails than females, because the male reproductive
organ is housed in the base of the tail. In males, the tail may extend beyond the hind
flippers.
● With the exception of the leatherback turtle, the claws on the fore flippers of sea
turtle males are elongated and curved, which may help them grasp a female's shell
during mating. -
Seaworld
Feeding Habits
● Herbivorous- eats sea grasses and algae
Population
● The estimated population of green sea turtles is 85,000 to 90,000 nesting females.
The End