- The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) gets its name not from the color of its carapace, but from the greenish color of some of its skin. This color is caused by a layer of fat beneath the skin. The carapace can be brown, black, or gray, while its underside is typically yellow.
- There are two types of green sea turtles, and experts still debate whether they are entirely different species or just subspecies. These are the Atlantic green sea turtle and the Eastern Pacific green sea turtle, which lives along the coasts from Alaska to Chile.
- Green sea turtles can grow to a carapace length of up to 120 cm, weighing as much as 300 kg. Green sea turtles are classified as one of the large sea turtle species.
- Unlike most other sea turtles, adult green sea turtles are herbivores, feeding on algae, seagrass, and marine plants. Juvenile green turtles and hatchlings are omnivores and are usually found eating invertebrates like crabs, jellyfish, and sponges.
- Most sea turtles warm themselves by swimming near the surface in shallow waters, but the Eastern Pacific green sea turtle has been observed frequently coming ashore to bask under the sun.
- Green sea turtles reach sexual maturity at the age of 20 to 50 years. They migrate long distances from feeding grounds to nesting habitats, which are also their birthplace. Male green sea turtles can mate every year, but female green sea turtles can only mate once every two to four years.
- Female green sea turtles nest at night. The nest is dug using their rear flippers. A single nest can contain 100 to 200 eggs, which will hatch in about two months. The hatchlings must immediately “run” and swim toward safety, or they will be eaten by predators (such as dogs, cats, pigs, crabs, birds, octopuses, squid, young sharks, etc.). If these hatchlings survive this dangerous period, they can live up to 80 to 90 years.
