How much do you know about the Green Sea Turtle? I'm going to tell you what I know about Green Sea Turtles. I'll be covering their characteristics, food, habits, and the habitat of this turtle. You know, the basic things. First off, I'll start with the name. The scientific name for the Green Sea Turtle is Chelonia mydas.

 

Their habitat is in tropical waters all over the world. The only time they ever come out of water is when they are born or when they are nesting. Other than that they are totally marine animals. They also live in costal areas. Once the baby turtles are hatched, the first thing they have to do is get to sea. There they eat, sleep, and live their lives.

 

Next, their food habits. As soon as the turtles are hatched they go straight to sea. When they are there, they stay on the surface and feed on plankton. As they grow they start to feed on algae and grass in shallow water. Then when they become juveniles, they eat jellyfish, crabs, sponges, and worms. When they are finally adults, the turtles become strict herbivores. Now, some information on their reproduction and gestation period. Both males and females mature between ages 10 and 24. They must copulate, and this is the only time vocalization is used.

 

Also there is competition between the males. Mating happens under water or on the surface about a kilometer away from land. Nesting happens every 3 to 6 years. The gestation period is about 40 to 72 days. That's about 2 months and 10 days at the most. When nesting the female turtles go on the shore, dig for about an hour, and then lays her eggs. After that she covers them up to protect them. Nesting happens usually on the same beach as the female was born.

 

Next, I am going to describe the class vs. family. The Green Sea Turtle is in the class reptilian. All the animals in this class lay eggs. The turtles are in the family cheloniidae. The difference between the class and the family is that the Green Sea Turtle is probably the only animal in that family.

 

Now, for the physical description of the Green Sea Turtle. Their flesh is green and they don't change colors. The Green Sea Turtle is one of the largest turtles in the world. They also have paddle-like limbs. And their heads are smaller than their body. The males are larger than the females.

 

Finally, some information on their ecological importance. Also, some interesting facts. The Green Sea Turtle is important to humans by being a source of food. But only to these places: the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America. They serve them as turtle soup. Now some facts. Female turtles can lay up to 200 eggs. If they survive the journey from the beach to the ocean when they are born, they can live up to 100 years old. A bunch of eggs are called a clutch. Green Sea Turtles are prey to so many animals. This is why they are an endangered species. In conclusion, this is what I know about Green Sea Turtles. I hope you've learned more about Green Sea Turtles than you thought you did before. We've gone over food habits, characteristics, and the habitat of the Green Sea Turtle. And lots more!

 

Author: Esther G.

Date Published: April 2006

 

Bibliography 1990. The Official World Wildlife Fund Guide to Endangered Species of North America. Vol. 2. Washington, D.C.: Beacham Publishing, Inc.. Behler, J. 1998 National Audbon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Alred a. Knopf, Inc. Chancileer Press. Ernst, C., R. and Barbour, R.W. 1989. TURTLES of the United States and Canada. Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution. Pritchard, P. 1967. Living Turtles of the World. New Jersey: T.F.H. Publications. Ernst, C.H., and Barbour, R.W. 1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington, D.C. Ernst, C.H., Lovich, J.E., and Barbour, R.W. 1994. Turtles of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington, D.C. Pough, F.H., Andrews, R.M., Cadle, J.E., Crump, M.L., Savitzky, A.H., and Wells, K.D. 2000. Herpetology, 2nd ed. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. • Hickman, C. P. Jr., L. S. Roberts, and A. Larson. 2003. Animal Diversity, 3rd edition. McGraw Hill, Boston. • Laurin, M. and J.A. Gauthier. 2001. Amniota. FPRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT="

 

http://tolweb.org/tree? Group=Aminota&contgroup=Terrestrial_Vertebrates Rabon, David Rabon. "Green Sea Turtles in North Carolina." Nc-Es.Fws.Gov/ Reptile/Greensea.Html. 22 Oct. 2003. 21 Apr. 2006 .