Green Sea Turtle [Chelonia mydas]
Description
<p>Green Sea Turtles are large, weighty sea turtles with a wide, smooth carapace, or shell. They can reach lengths of up to 1.5 meters and weights of over 300 kilograms. They are named not for the color of their shell, which can be olive to black, but for the greenish color of their skin. Unlike most sea turtles, adult green turtles are herbivorous, feeding on sea grasses and algae. This diet is thought to give them greenish-colored fat, from which they take their name. They are primarily found in tropical and subtropical waters. The species is listed as endangered, and its biggest threats include loss of nesting habitat due to coastal development, predation of nests, and getting caught in fishing gear.</p>
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Reptiles
Reptilia
|
| Order |
Sea Turtles
Testudines
|
| Family |
Green Sea Turtles
Cheloniidae
|
| Genus |
Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia
|