Green Sea Turtle:
The carcass of a green sea turtle washed ashore on Marina beach in Chennai recently.
- It is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle.
- Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas
- They are unique among sea turtles in that they are herbivores, eating mostly seagrasses and algae.
- This diet is what gives their fat a greenish color (not their shells), which is where their name comes from.
- Green turtles are found throughout the world, mainly in tropical and subtropical waters.
- These turtles are found nesting along the coastline of more than 80 countries, with the largest nesting populations found in Costa Rica and Australia.
- Similar to other sea turtles, green sea turtles migrate long distances between their feeding grounds and their nesting sites, with recorded distances longer than 1,615 miles (2,600 kilometers).
- They are large in size, attaining about 120 cm in length and weighing about 136-159 kg.
- They have a comparatively small head.
- The green turtle has a smooth carapace which varies in shape, between sub-circular and heart-shaped, and in colouration between black, grey, green, brown, and yellow. The plastron (bottom shell) is yellowish-white in colour.
- The carapace is the turtle’s upper shell, made of large, hard scales called scutes.
- They do not have teeth, but their jaws have modified “beaks” suited to their particular diet.
- They do not have visible ears but have eardrums covered by skin. They hear best at low frequencies, and their sense of smell is excellent.
- Their vision underwater is good, but they are nearsighted out of water.
- Their streamlined bodies and large flippers make them remarkably adapted to life at sea.
- Lifespan: Estimated to be 60-70 years.
- Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Endangered
