Green sea turtle

The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a large marine turtle found in tropical and subtropical oceans. Its name comes from the greenish color of its body fat, not its shell.

Sea turtle: A marine reptile in the superfamily Chelonioidea, adapted to life in the ocean but dependent on land for nesting. Green turtles share the sea turtles’ ocean-going anatomy and land-nesting life cycle.
Sea turtle nesting: The process by which female sea turtles come ashore to lay eggs in buried nests. Female green turtles return to beaches to dig nests and deposit clutches.
Green turtle conservation: The protection and recovery of green turtle populations, nesting sites, and feeding habitats. Species-specific programs address threats across the green turtle’s range.
Seagrass grazing: The consumption of seagrass by herbivores, which can alter meadow growth and structure. Green turtle grazing can influence seagrass productivity and habitat condition.
Cheloniidae: A family of sea turtles that includes the green turtle, loggerhead, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, and olive ridley. This family places the green turtle among its closest living sea-turtle relatives.
Sea turtle egg: An egg laid in a buried nest by a sea turtle, where the embryo develops without parental care. A green turtle clutch develops in sand until hatchlings emerge.
Sea turtle bycatch: The unintended capture of sea turtles in fishing gear intended for other species. Fishing gear can drown or injure green turtles far from nesting beaches.
Seagrass ecosystem: A coastal marine ecosystem built around seagrasses and the organisms they support. Green turtles are prominent herbivores in these ecosystems.
Herbivory: A feeding strategy in which an animal primarily eats plants or algae. Adult green turtles are unusual among sea turtles for grazing mainly on seagrasses and algae.
Sea turtle hatchling: A newly emerged young sea turtle that travels from its nest toward the sea. Green turtle hatchlings face a hazardous journey from nest to ocean.

Linked from 11 pages