Green Turtle Facts & Pictures (original) (raw)

Fact: While we don't know how long green sea turtles actually live, it is believed they can live up to 80 to over 100 years old.
Source: Office of Naval Research, and Crite, J. 2000. "Chelonia mydas" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web.

Fact: Green sea turtles belong to the Cheloniidae family.
Source: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Fact: Of all the marine turtles, adult green sea turtles are the only ones who are vegetarians. They commonly eat sea grasses and algae.
Source: NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources.

Did you know? Green sea turtles can weigh up to 400 to 500 pounds [that's 181 to 227 kilos]!
Source: Integrated Principles of Zoology, 5th Edition, Cleveland P. Hickman, Sr. (Department of Zoology, DePauw University), Cleveland P. Hickman, Jr. (Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University), Frances M. Hickman (Department of Zoology, DePauw University), page 519.

Beneath the water, green sea turtles can be quite graceful. On the land... not so much.

Fact: Compared to other sea turtles, such as the leatherback and loggerhead, green sea turtles have small heads.
Source: NEFSC Fish FAQ.

Fact: Adult green sea turtles have very few enemies. Sharks and humans are their main two predators.
Source: NOAA Fisheries, Office of Protected Resources, The Kid's Times, Volume I, Issue 5, page 2.

Fact: Green sea turtles are a threatened species. In Florida and on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, the green turtle breeding colony populations are listed as Endangered.
Source: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Fact: Green sea turtles are hunted to be made into soup, but that's not all. They're also killed for their skin, and for their oil.
Source: Childcraft, The How and Why Library, volume 5, page 239.