Green Sea Turtles
Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
A full grown adult Green Sea Turtle weighs an average of about 400 pounds, and can have a carapace length of 3.5 feet. The lifespan of sea turtles are unknown, but it is believed to live up to about 80 years. Green Sea Turtles mature at about the age 25. Their bony outer shells help keep away predators. Their shell covers their ventral and dorsal exterior. Their shells are covered with scales or scutes. The Green Sea Turtle was named after its green skin, body fat and flesh. Its green skin comes from the algae and grasses that they eat. The colour of the carapace varies. You will rarely find a Green Sea Turtle with a solid coloured carapace. The carapaces colour varies from an olive brown to a black. However the plastron is a pale yellow to a creamy white. As many turtles can retract their heads into their shells, green sea turtles cannot.
Adult green sea turtles mostly eat marine plant life such as kelp and algae, while juveniles have a larger diet.
Adult green sea turtles mostly eat marine plant life such as kelp and algae, while juveniles have a larger diet.
The Hawaiian name for the Green Sea Turtle is “Honu.”
Ventral- The belly.
Dorsal- The back.
Carapace- The Dorsal portion of the shell.
Plastron- The Ventral portion of the shell.
Scute- A horny or bony external plate or scale.
Dorsal- The back.
Carapace- The Dorsal portion of the shell.
Plastron- The Ventral portion of the shell.
Scute- A horny or bony external plate or scale.