Green Sea Turtle


Animal Unique | Green Sea Turtle | Life of Sea | Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is one of an endangered species in the world. It gets its name not from the color of its shell but from the usually green fat found beneath their carapace (upper shell).  Green sea turtle has thick, heavy and bony shell. It is covered in plate-like scales. The upper shell of adults ranges from light to dark olive-brown, sometimes with darker radiating streaks on each shield of the carapace. The plastron below is yellowish. The carapace is black to gray on very young green turtles, and the plastron dusky white. 

Green sea turtles live in tropical and subtropical waters along islands and continental coasts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. You can found them in all the warmer oceans and in the Mediterranean. The species has been harvested for centuries for meat and made into soup. Hunting and egg gathering have reduced their numbers. The black-market trade has caused the green sea turtle to become an endangered species. Now, they are threatened with extinction. 

Green sea turtles may group during feeding in shallow waters. Green turtles are one of the few animals that eat sea grass.  they are carnivorous, feeding on jellyfish and other invertebrates. As adults, however, greens are the only herbivorous (vegetarian) sea turtle, feeding on sea grasses and algae. Sea turtles spend most of his life under the sea. Adult females only go to sand (beaches) to lay their eggs on land. For green sea turtles, female can lay eggs about 60-150 eggs. Without the hunting by human, naturally only about 11 hatchlings that swim back to sea to grow up. Some researchers reports that the percentage of hatching eggs is naturally only about 50% when it begins to hatch and return to the sea for swimming (not in added in the existence of several other predators).  Natural predators on land such as crabs, birds and mice. At sea, the main predator of this animal like other big fish. This condition is going to worse by people who take the eggs before it grows up.
Green sea turtles need oxygen to breath. They come on the sea surface to get the oxygen. Their lungs are developed to provide them with the necessary supports which are needed to dive underwater for a long time. Interesting fact that green sea turtles are perhaps the most famous travelers.  They are able to swim long distances. Female green turtles have been known to travel more than 2600 kilometres in their migrations between feeding grounds and nesting beaches. Green sea turtles are one of the oldest living things on earth. It has been here through the dinosaur times. It has lived on Earth for millions of years. They were once half of a dinosaur's body. Marine turtles are great survivors, having been present in the oceans for more than 100 million years — since the time of the dinosaurs.

Green sea turtles are one species of sea turtles are commonly found other turtles. For example, leatherback sea turtles, this specimen have been greatly reduced in numbers. It is one of type sea turtle that  almost disappear in the waters. Only a few places that still occasionally spawn place for this type of turtle. Leatherback sea turtles are protected and included in the CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species). Although green sea turtles more numerous in the appeal other turtle, but their population is reduced each year by arresting and hunting. They are also trapped by nets of fisherme.

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