Reptile · GBIF taxon 2442225
Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydasAlso known as Green Turtle, Black Sea Turtle, Pacific Green Turtle
Green sea turtles navigate vast ocean basins between nesting beaches and coastal feeding pastures, using geomagnetic cues to return to the exact sands where they hatched. While juveniles hunt pelagic invertebrates, adults shift entirely to a herbivorous diet of seagrasses and marine algae, maintaining healthy underwater meadows through constant grazing. Females haul out onto sandy shores at night during breeding season to excavate deep nests and lay over a hundred eggs in a single clutch.
MarineHerbivorousMigratory
—observations
—countries
—peak records
EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXEndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Seagrasses
- Marine algae
- Jellyfish
Predators
- Tiger sharks
- Killer whales
- Humans
ThreatsCoastal development, fisheries bycatch, egg poaching, marine pollution, climate change
HabitatsTropical and subtropical oceans, seagrass beds, coral reefs, nesting beaches
Life span70–80 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyCheloniidae
- GenusChelonia
- SpeciesChelonia mydas
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe from a respectful distance in the water or on nesting beaches.
- What to notice
- Recognized by a heart-shaped carapace with non-overlapping scutes, a single pair of prefrontal scales, and a blunt beak.
- Support conservation
- Maintain a generous distance on land and in water, avoid artificial light near nesting beaches, and report injured individuals to local authorities.
Responsible observation
- Nesting Beaches: Keep at least 15 meters distance from nesting females and refrain from using flashlights or cameras.
- Snorkeling: Give swimming turtles space to surface for air and never chase or grab them.
- Boating: Maintain slow speeds over shallow seagrass beds to prevent vessel strike injuries.
Oceanic Neighbor (c) Pam Kleinsasser, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Pam Kleinsasser · cc-by
Host Plant no rights reserved · cc0
Predator (c) Kris-Mikael Krister, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative "Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)" by brian.gratwicke is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Close Relative "Hawksbill Turtle" by Tchami is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. · cc-by-sa
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