Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Family: Cheloniidae Genus: Chelonia Latreille in Sonnini & Latreille, 1802 Species: C. mydas
Binomial name
Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758)

This page redirects from Chelonia, which is the genus name of this turtle, but has also been used for the order Testudines of all turtles and tortoises.

Chelonia mydas, more commonly known as the green sea turtle, is a large sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia.^[1] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1650x1000, 374 KB) Chelonia mydas en: Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle de: Suppenschildkröte nl: Soepschildpad Picture was taken and adjusted in Adobe Photoshop by Didactohedron. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn2. ... The Siberian Tiger, a subspecies of tiger. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Animalia redirects here. ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses Anapsida Diapsida Synonyms Reptilia Laurenti, 1768 Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane, and members of the class Sauropsida. ... blue: sea turtles, black: land turtles Suborders Cryptodira Pleurodira See text for families. ... Genera Family Cheloniidae (Oppel, 1811) Caretta Chelonia Eretmochelys Lepidochelys Natator Family Dermochelyidae Dermochelys Family Protostegidae (extinct) Family Toxochelyidae (extinct) Family Thalassemyidae (extinct) Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are turtles found in all the worlds oceans except the Arctic Ocean, and some species travel between oceans. ... Pierre André Latreille. ... Pierre André Latreille. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... 1758 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Families See text Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudinata, most of whose body is shielded by a special bony shell developed from their ribs. ... Genera Family Cheloniidae (Oppel, 1811) Caretta Chelonia Eretmochelys Lepidochelys Natator Family Dermochelyidae Dermochelys Family Protostegidae (extinct) Family Toxochelyidae (extinct) Family Thalassemyidae (extinct) Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are turtles found in all the worlds oceans except the Arctic Ocean, and some species travel between oceans. ... Genera Caretta Lepidochelys Chelonia Eretmochelys Natator Dermochelys Sea turtles are large, ocean-dwelling turtles. ...

Anatomy and Morphology

Carapace scalation of C. mydas.

The appearance of the green sea turtle is that of a typical sea turtle. C. mydas has a dorso-ventrally flattened body, a beaked head at the end of a short neck, and paddle-like arms well-adapted for swimming.^[2] Unlike the closely-related hawksbill turtle, the green sea turtle's snout is very short and its beak is unhooked. The horny sheath of the turtle's upper jaw possesses a slightly-denticulated edge while its lower jaw has stronger, more defined denticulation. The dorsal surface of the turtle's head has a single pair of prefrontal shields. Mature C. mydas front appendages have only a single claw (as opposed to the hawksbill's two), although a second claw is sometimes prominent in young specimens. The carapace of the turtle is known to have various color patterns that change over time. Hatchlings of C. mydas, like those of other marine turtles, have mostly black carapaces and light-colored plastrons. Carapaces of juveniles are dark brown to olive, while those of mature adults are either entirely brown, spotted or marbled with variegated rays. Underneath, the turtle's plastron is hued yellow. C. mydas limbs are dark-colored and lined with yellow, and are usually marked with a large dark brown spot in the center of each appendage.^[3]
The green sea turtle is known to grow up to one and a half meters long. While individuals have been caught that reached weights of up to 315 kilograms, average weight of mature individuals is around 200 kilograms. The largest Chelonia mydas ever recorded weighed 395 kilograms (871 lbs.)^[4] The species is known to live up to eighty (80) years in the wild.^[5] Image File history File links Chelonia. ... Image File history File links Chelonia. ... Binomial name Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus, 1766 Range of the Hawksbill turtle subspecies Eretmochelys imbricata bissa (Rüppell, 1835) Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766) Synonyms Eretmochelys imbricata squamata junior synonym The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. ... The beak—otherwise known as the bill or rostrum—is an external anatomical structure which serves as the mouth in some animals. ... The term carapace refers to a dorsal section of an exoskeleton or shell, in a number of animal groups. ... The plastron is the nearly flat part of the shell structure of a tortoise, what we would call the belly, similar in composition to the carapace; with an external layer of horny material divided into plates called scutes and an underlying layer of interlocking bones. ...

Range and Distribution

Its distribution extends throughout tropical, subtropical and some warmer temperate waters.

It can be found in tropical and sub-tropical oceans worldwide. There are two major subpopulations of C. mydas, the Atlantic and the Eastern Pacific ones.^[5]

Atlantic subpopulation

Ascension Island in the mid-Atlantic hosts the second largest breeding ground for the Green Sea Turtle in the Atlantic, after Costa Rica. Each year, between 6,000 and 15,000 nests are laid by the turtle, and the turtles nesting on the island are the largest Green Turtles in the world, being 1.5 meters in length and weighing up to 300 kg. The turtles which breed in Ascension migrate from Brazil in what is one of the longest migrations of any creature on earth. The turtles repeat this every 3-4 years. The story of the turtles on Ascension has been a sad one, since the island's discovery in 1502, and up to the turn of the 20th century, turtling was one of the things the island was famous for. Now however, there is an active conservation programme taking place, and there has been an Ascension Island Green Turtle Fund set up to do this. Thankfully, due to low tourist numbers on the island's long beaches, there are plenty of nesting sites for the turtles there. Anthem: God Save the Queen Capital Georgetown Largest city Georgetown Official languages English Government Dependency of St. ... 1502 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

• Ascension Island Heritage Society page on the Green Turtle

Florida and the Caribbean

Green Turtles on wharf at Key West, Florida

Important feeding grounds for the green sea turtle in Florida include Indian River Lagoon, the Florida Keys, Florida Bay, Homosassa, Crystal River and Cedar Key. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1265x947, 843 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Green Sea Turtle ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1265x947, 843 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Green Sea Turtle ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... Palm trees in Islamorada The Florida Keys is an archipelago of about 1700 islands in the southeast United States. ... Florida Bay is the shallow bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland (the Florida Everglades) and the Florida Keys. ... Homosassa is a census-designated place located in Citrus County, Florida. ... Crystal River may refer to: The town of Crystal River, Florida in the United States. ... Dock Street, Cedar Key. ...

The primary nesting sites in U.S. Atlantic waters are along the east coast of Florida, particularly Hutchinson Island, with additional sites in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Sites in Suriname and in Tortuguero, Costa Rica are also reported. This western Atlantic population reaches sexual maturity at anywhere from 20-50 years. Hutchinson Island South is a census-designated place located in St. ... Location of Tortuguero Conservation Area Tortuguero Conservation Area is an administrative area which is managed by SINAC for the purposes of conservation in the northeastern part of Costa Rica. ...

Before the inclusion of the turtles in the Endangered Species Act and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, commercial farms such as the Cayman Turtle Farm in the West Indies bred them for commercial sale and held as many as 100,000 turtles at any one time. But when the markets were closed due to the new protections, some went bankrupt and drastically reduced their stock. They currently now operate only as tourist attractions with around 10,000 turtles at any one time. See http://www.turtle.ky/history.htm for further historical information.

Pacific subpopulation

Immature Hawaiian "Honu"

The turtle is found throughout the Hawaiian Islands, all the way to Midway The native Hawaiian word honu is often used. Ninety percent of the Hawaiian population breed and nest at French Frigate Shoals, from April to November. Males apparently make the journey every year, while females make it at two to four year intervals. Sexual maturity comes at about 25 years. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1068x997, 1911 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Green Sea Turtle ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1068x997, 1911 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Green Sea Turtle ... Map of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of islands that stretches 2,400 km in a northwesterly direction from the southern tip of the Island of Hawai‘i. ... Midway Atoll (also known as Midway Island or Midway Islands) is a 6. ... Map of French Frigate Shoals The French Frigate Shoals (Hawaiian: Mokupāpapa) is the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. ...

The honu has made a remarkable comeback and is now the subject of eco-tourism and has become something of a state mascot. Students of Hawai'i Preparatory Academy (a high school) on the Big Island have tagged thousands of specimens over the past two decades.

Conservation efforts have been boosted by eco-tourism in Sabah, Borneo. The island of Pulau Selingaan (also known as 'Turtle Island') is home to a turtle hatchery. Staff on the island collect some of the eggs laid each night and place them in a hatchery to protect them from predators. Incubation is approximately 60 days. Once hatched, tourists are permitted to assist in the release of the baby turtles into the sea. State motto: Sabah Maju Jaya State anthem: Sabah Tanah Airku Capital Kota Kinabalu Ruling party Barisan Nasional  - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Ahmadshah Abdullah  - Ketua Menteri Musa Aman History    - Brunei Sultanate 19th century   - British North Borneo 1882   - Japanese occupation 1941-1945   - British control 1946   - Accession into Malaysia 1963  Area  - Total 76... Borneo is the third largest island in the world. ...

In the Arabian Sea, 'Hawksbay' and 'Sandspit' beaches off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan host some of the most important nesting grounds for the Green Turtles. The nests are laid throughout the year, but the frequency is higher in July and December. Apart from the populated beaches of Sindh, the turtle habitat has been recorded since 1877 on many inaccessible and unfrequented sandy beaches along the 700 kilometer coastline of Balochistan as well as on the Astola island, 25 km from the mainland.^[6] WWF-Pakistan has initiated various projects for safe turtle hatching since the 1980s. However, the population has been in decline due to populated beaches, urban developments, fishing activities, noise and other forms of pollution from the harbour and exploitation of turtle products.^[7] Map of the Arabian Sea. ... Karachi (Urdu: كراچى, Sindhi: ڪراچي) is the capital of the province of Sindh, and the most populated city in Pakistan. ... Sindh (Sindhī: سنڌ, Urdū: سندھ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and is home to the Sindhis, and Muhajirs and various other groups. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The province of Balochistan (or Baluchistan) (Urdu: بلوچستان) in Pakistan is the largest in the country by geographical area. ... Astola or Astola Island (also known as Haft Talar or seven hills) is a small, uninhabited island in the Arabian Sea, approximately twenty-five kilometres south of the Balochistan coast of Pakistan. ...

Along with hawksbill turtles, green sea turtles are known to nest in the Turtle Islands in the Philippines.^[8] Binomial name Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus, 1766 Range of the Hawksbill turtle subspecies Eretmochelys imbricata bissa (Rüppell, 1835) Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766) Synonyms Eretmochelys imbricata squamata junior synonym The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. ... Turtle Islands is a municipality composed of a remote group of islands in the province of Tawi-Tawi in the Philippines. ...

The Green Sea Turtles on the Great Barrier Reef have two genetically distinct populations - one in the northern Great Barrier Reef, and the other in the southern Great Barrier Reef.^[9] The Great Barrier Reef is the worlds largest coral reef system,[1][2] composed of roughly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands that stretch for 2,600 kilometres (1,616 mi) and cover an area of approximately 344,400 km².[3][4] The reef is located in the... Population genetics is the study of the distribution of and change in allele frequencies under the influence of the four evolutionary forces: natural selection, genetic drift, mutation, and migration. ...

Ecology and Life History

Habitat

Green turtles usually inhabit shallow waters associated with seagrass beds.^[7] Seagrass meadows within inshore bays, lagoons and shoals are common locations where Chelonia mydas can often be found. This particular species is known to be very selective about their feeding and mating sites and entire generations will often alternately migrate between the same feeding and nesting areas.^[2]

Feeding Ecology

Chelonia mydas is primarily herbivorous. It feeds almost-exclusively on various species of sea grasses and seaweed.^[7] While mature green turtles are entirely herbivorous, juveniles are known to subsist on a plethora of marine invertebrates. Their digestive intake of plant matter grows larger as they age, until as mature adults they become obligate herbivores.^[5] In zoology, an herbivore is an animal that is adapted to eat primarily plants (rather than meat). ... Johnsons seagrass in Florida coast Seagrass (or sea-grass in British English) is a term that refers to flowering plants from two plant families (Potamogetonaceae and Hydrocharitacea) that grow in the marine environment. ... Ascophyllum nodosum exposed to the sun in Nova Scotia, Canada Dead Mans Fingers (Codium fragile) off Massachusetts coast For the band, see; Seaweed (band) For the rock musician, see; Seaweed (musician) Seaweeds are any of a large number of marine benthic algae. ...

Life History

Unlike most sea turtles, which spend most of their adult lives in the ocean, Pacific green turtles are known to willingly crawl onto secluded beaches during the day to bask in the sun.^[5]

Green turtles migrate long distances in-between their chosen feeding sites and the isolated islands from which they were hatched. Mature turtles will often return to the same exact beach from which they hatched from. Individual turtles will usually mate every two to four years.^[5] Mating seasons vary between populations, but for C. mydas in the Caribbean, mating season is from June to September.^[2] West Indian redirects here. ...

Green turtles reproduce in the typical way that marine turtles do so. After a lengthy mating ritual in the water, the females haul themselves onto the beach above the high tide line. Upon reaching a suitable nesting site, the gravid female then digs a hole with her hind flippers and deposits a number of eggs in the nest. The number of eggs laid per litter depends on the age of the female and differs from species to species, but C. mydas clutches range between 100 to 200 eggs. After laying eggs, the female then covers the nest with sand and returns to the sea.^[5]

After around 45 to 75 days, the eggs hatch. As with other marine turtles, C. mydas eggs hatch during the night and the newly-emerged turtles head directly towards the water's edge. This undoubtedly is the most dangerous time in a turtle's life, as the hatchlings make their way to the water, various predators such as gulls and crabs pick off many turtles. A significant percentage of turtle hatchlings never make it to the ocean. Just like other sea turtles, little is known of the life history of juvenile green sea turtles. It is speculated that they take twenty to fifty years to reach mature size.^[2] Look up gull in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Superfamilies Dromiacea Homolodromioidea Dromioidea Homoloidea Eubrachyura Raninoidea Cyclodorippoidea Dorippoidea Calappoidea Leucosioidea Majoidea Hymenosomatoidea Parthenopoidea Retroplumoidea Cancroidea Portunoidea Bythograeoidea Xanthoidea Bellioidea Potamoidea Pseudothelphusoidea Gecarcinucoidea Cryptochiroidea Pinnotheroidea * Ocypodoidea * Grapsoidea * An asterisk (*) marks the crabs included in the clade Thoracotremata. ...

Etymology and Taxonomic History

The species was originally described by Linnaeus in 1758 as Testudo mydas.^[10] In 1868, Bocourt described a particular species of sea turtle as Chelonia agassizi (and Chelonia agassizii - both were once valid names). ^[11] This "species" was referred to as the black sea turtle.^[12] These two separate species were then united in the same species, Chelonia mydas and were given subspecies status. C. mydas mydas referred to the originally described population while C. mydas agassizi referred to the Pacific population.^[13][14] This subdivision was later determined to be invalid and all members of the species were then designated Chelonia mydas.^[1] A painting of Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as Carl von Linné, and who wrote under the Latinized name Carolus Linnaeus (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish scientist who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of taxonomy. ...

The green sea turtle was so named because of the green color of its body fat. The adult turtle's algae diet is responsible for the color in its tissues. Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. ... A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ...

Some debate exists about whether the Black Sea Turtle (Chelonia agassizi) is actually a separate species (bringing the total to 8), or a subspecies of the Green Sea Turtle. Black Sea Turtles are very similar to Green Sea Turtles, but are somewhat darker and smaller as a group. The habitat of this proposed species lies along the Pacific coast of Central America and northern South America.

Importance to Humans

Along with other sea turtles, Chelonia mydas are caught, intentionally and unintentionally in select regions of the world. In ancient China, the flesh of sea turtles including and especially C. mydas was considered a culinary delicacy.^[15] China is the worlds oldest continuous major civilization, with written records dating back about 3,500 years and with 5,000 years being commonly used by Chinese as the age of their civilization. ...

Even though it is illegal to hunt members of the family, sea turtles continue to be caught throughout the world (see below) .

Conservation

A particular population of Chelonia mydas in the Mediterranean is listed as critically endangered.^[5]

There are various threats to the species' survival. These include direct threats to individual turtles such as being injured by boat propellers, becoming caught in fishermen's nets and drowning, and being hunted by humans for their flesh. The turtles' nests are also raided both by humans and other animals for their eggs. In addition, the turtles suffer a level of habitat loss from human development of their nesting areas.^[5]

Several population groups of this species exist, and all are in a vulnerable state. The Hawaii and Southern California green sea turtles are designated threatened, and the Florida and Mexico populations are endangered. In Pakistan, the status of Chelonia mydas japonica species has been termed as "Rare and declining" by WWF.^[16] In the United Kingdom the species is protected by a Biodiversity Action Plan, due to harvesting in excess from human overpopulation and marine pollution. They have long been used as a meat source by many different peoples, reducing their numbers. This species is used in turtle soup. They are also caught for their shells, leathery skin, and fat. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For the urban complex straddling the United States-Mexico border, see Bajalta California. ... Threatened species refers to animal and plant species under a serious, but perhaps not imminent, threat of extinction. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... The Siberian Tiger, a subspecies of tiger. ... The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization for the conservation, research and restoration of the natural environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in the United States and Canada. ... Diademed Sifaka, an endangered primate of Madagascar Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) is a an internationally recognized programme addressing threatened species or habitats, which is designed to protect and restore biological systems. ... Map of countries by population density (See List of countries by population density. ... Pumping of highly toxic (dark black) sludge, much seeps back into the ocean in the form of particles. ... This page has been successfully copied to the Wikibooks Cookbook using the Import tool. ...

Other threats to the species' survival include habitat destruction on their beaches, being caught as by-catch by fishermen, egg poaching, trash pollution in the oceans, collisions with watercraft, and artificial lighting on nesting beaches, which confuses the hatchlings and lures them toward roads instead of toward the sea where they should go. A disease called fibropapillomatosis is also a problem in some green sea turtle populations. In fisheries science, by-catch refers to species caught in a fishery intended to target another species, as well as reproductively-immature juveniles of the target species. ... For other uses, see Poaching (disambiguation). ... A watercraft is a vehicle designed to float on and move across (or through) water for pleasure, physical exercise (in the case of many small boats), transporting people and/or goods, or military missions. ... Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a disease, probably caused by a herpes-type virus, causing an epidemic amongst sea turtles. ...

Gallery

Green Sea Turtle - Honu(Chelonia mydas) Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1646x1182, 1543 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Green Sea Turtle User:Caracas1830 Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or...

A Sea Turtle resting on Punalu'u Black Sand Beach (Photo: Lisa Weber) Image File history File links Punaluu_turtle. ... Punaluu Black Sand Beach (Photo: Kenya Allmond) A Sea Turtle resting on Punaluu Black Sand Beach (Photo: Lisa Weber) Punaluu Black Sand Beach is a beach near Naalehu, Hawaii on the Big Island of Hawaii that has black sand created by volcanic activity. ...

A female green turtle returning to the sea after nesting in Redang Island, Malaysia. (Photo by P.N.Chen) Image File history File linksMetadata Green_turtle. ... Redang Island, locally known as Pulau Redang or just Redang is one of the largest and most beautiful of the islands off the east coast of Malaysia. ...

Bibliography

• Maria R. Audubon (ed.)(1897), Audubon and His Journals. New York: Scribner's Sons. (Dover Publications Reprint, 1986). ISBN 978-0486251448
• Seminoff (2004). Chelonia mydas. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006.
• Chelonia mydas (TSN 173833). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 21 February 2007.
• Glick, Daniel (September 2005). "Back from the Brink". The Smithsonian Magazine: 54-55. Retrieved on 2007-02-21. 

John James Audubon John James Audubon[1] (April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was a Franco-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Please note that the ITIS system URL has changed (25 September 2006). ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

Please note that the ITIS system URL has changed (25 September 2006). ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... February 22 is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Please note that the ITIS system URL has changed (25 September 2006). ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... Please note that the ITIS system URL has changed (25 September 2006). ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... Please note that the ITIS system URL has changed (25 September 2006). ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... Please note that the ITIS system URL has changed (25 September 2006). ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... Please note that the ITIS system URL has changed (25 September 2006). ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... Edward Thomas Ed Schafer (born August 8, 1946), U. S. Republican Party politician, He served as Governor of North Dakota from 1992 to 2000. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Chelonioidea. The sea turtle superfamily.

• Caretta caretta. The loggerhead turtle.

• Dermochelys coriacea. The leatherback turtle.

• Eretmochelys imbricata. The hawksbill turtle.

• Lepidochelys kempii. The Kemp's Ridley turtle.

• Lepidochelys olivacea. The olive ridley turtle.

• Natator depressus. The flatback turtle.

Genera Family Cheloniidae (Oppel, 1811) Caretta Lepidochelys Chelonia Eretmochelys Natator Family Dermochelyidae Family Protostegidae (extinct) Family Toxochelyidae (extinct) Family Thalassemyidae (extinct) Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are turtles found in all the worlds oceans with the exception of the Arctic Ocean, and some species travel between oceans. ... Genera Family Cheloniidae (Oppel, 1811) Caretta Chelonia Eretmochelys Lepidochelys Natator Family Dermochelyidae Dermochelys Family Protostegidae (extinct) Family Toxochelyidae (extinct) Family Thalassemyidae (extinct) Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are turtles found in all the worlds oceans except the Arctic Ocean, and some species travel between oceans. ... Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta), as with other sea turtles, females return to lay their eggs on or near the same beach where they hatched. ... Binomial name Caretta caretta Linnaeus, 1758 The Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta), is characterized by a large head with blunt jaws. ... Binomial name Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) The Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the biggest of all turtles alive, reaching a length of 2 metres and a weight of up to 1300 lb (600 kg). ... Binomial name Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) The Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the biggest of all turtles alive, reaching a length of 2 m (6. ... Binomial name Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766) The Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a sea turtle that is distinguished by the following characteristics. ... Binomial name Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus, 1766 Range of the Hawksbill turtle subspecies Eretmochelys imbricata bissa (Rüppell, 1835) Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766) Synonyms Eretmochelys imbricata squamata junior synonym The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. ... Binomial name Lepidochelys kempii (Garman, 1880) Kemps Ridley (Lepiochelys kempii) is a critically endangered species of sea turtle. ... Binomial name Lepidochelys kempi (Garman, 1880) The Kemps Ridley (Lepiochelys kempi) is a critically endangered species of sea turtle. ... Binomial name Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829) The Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) is one of the smallest species of sea turtle. ... Binomial name Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829) The Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) is one of the smallest species of sea turtle. ... Binomial name Natator depressus (Garman, 1880) The Flatback Turtle (Natator depressus) is a sea turtle endemic to the continental shelf of Australia. ... Binomial name Natator depressus (Garman, 1880) The Flatback Turtle (Natator depressus) is a sea turtle endemic to the continental shelf of Australia. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Chelonia mydas

• ARKive - images and movies of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas)
• US Fish and Wildlife Service sites:
  • Floridian and Mexican populations
  • Hawaiian population
• Green Sea Turtle Description of the species mentioning black sea turtle debate.
• IUCN Red List entry