Green Sea Turtle

Common Name: Green Sea Turtle

Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas

Diet: Seagrass, algae, plankton, crabs, jellyfish, and sponges

Range: Circumglobally distributed throughout tropical water, and some subtropical waters

Size: Up to 3 to 4 feet and a weight of 440 lbs.

Lifespan: 80 years or more

IUCN Red List Status: Endangered

Endangered

Overview

The green sea turtle is a large, graceful marine reptile known for its long migrations and strong connections to nesting beaches. It plays a vital role in maintaining healthy seagrass beds and marine ecosystems. Despite its name, the green sea turtle’s shell is not green; the name comes from the greenish color of its body fat, which results from its herbivorous diet.

Geographical Distribution and Habitat

Green sea turtles are found worldwide primarily in subtropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and in the Mediterranean Sea. Green sea turtles depend on beaches for nesting and are known to use seagrass beds for feeding grounds. Hatchlings will swim to offshore areas and live in the open ocean for several years. Adults will migrate from coastal foraging areas to the waters off the nesting beaches where they originally hatched to reproduce every 2 to 5 years.

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Diet

Juvenile green sea turtles feed on invertebrates like jellyfish, small crustations, and other floating organisms in the open ocean. As they mature, they transition to a herbivorous diet, grazing on seagrass and algae in shallow coastal waters. This shift in diet helps maintain the health of seagrass ecosystems and distinguishes them from other sea turtle species.

Fun Facts

Green Sea Turtles are the largest hard-shelled sea turtles.
Green sea turtles are the only herbivorous species of sea turtle.
Green sea turtles can lay up to 110 eggs per nest and nest every two weeks over their nesting season.
Wonders of Wildlife is home to the Johnny Morris Sea Turtle Center and has rescued and rehabilitated over 64 sea turtles since 2020. Learn more about our efforts HERE.