Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Where is it found?
Tropical oceans. Turtles only leave the water to lay their eggs on the land, usually a sandy beach.
Diet and foraging method
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Adults graze on sea grass and algae, whereas, juveniles eat jellyfish, sponges and crustaceans.
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Key adaptations
Green turtles have long, paddle-like flippers which make them well adapted for swimming and a shell which protects them from predators.
Social organisation and mating system
Usually solitary but can form feeding aggregations.
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Polygamous
Did you know that...?
Part of the Brazilian population of green turtles migrates around 2250 km across the ocean to breed in the Ascension Islands! Female turtles will use the same beaches to nest on as their mothers and grandmothers.
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Green sea turtle at Batu Bolong" by Alexander Vasenin - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_sea_turtle_at_Batu_Bolong.JPG#/media/File:Green_sea_turtle_at_Batu_Bolong.JPG
"Green Sea Turtle grazing seagrass" by P.Lindgren - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Sea_Turtle_grazing_seagrass.jpg#/media/File:Green_Sea_Turtle_grazing_seagrass.jpg
"Green Sea Turtle (6215133142)" by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region - Green Sea TurtleUploaded by AlbertHerring. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Sea_Turtle_(6215133142).jpg#/media/File:Green_Sea_Turtle_(6215133142).jpg
"Green Sea Turtle Biscayne" by Photo by National Park Service South Florida / Caribbean Network - National Park Service website [1]. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Sea_Turtle_Biscayne.jpg#/media/File:Green_Sea_Turtle_Biscayne.jpg
"Green sea turtle at Batu Bolong" by Alexander Vasenin - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_sea_turtle_at_Batu_Bolong.JPG#/media/File:Green_sea_turtle_at_Batu_Bolong.JPG
"Green Sea Turtle grazing seagrass" by P.Lindgren - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Sea_Turtle_grazing_seagrass.jpg#/media/File:Green_Sea_Turtle_grazing_seagrass.jpg
"Green Sea Turtle (6215133142)" by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region - Green Sea TurtleUploaded by AlbertHerring. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Sea_Turtle_(6215133142).jpg#/media/File:Green_Sea_Turtle_(6215133142).jpg
"Green Sea Turtle Biscayne" by Photo by National Park Service South Florida / Caribbean Network - National Park Service website [1]. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Sea_Turtle_Biscayne.jpg#/media/File:Green_Sea_Turtle_Biscayne.jpg
