Green sea turtle

Green sea turtle
A green sea turtle swimming above a Hawaiian coral reef
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Chelonioidea
Family:	Cheloniidae
Subfamily:	Cheloniinae
Genus:	Chelonia Brongniart, 1800
Species:	C. mydas
Binomial name
Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms[3]
Species synonymy Testudo mydas Linnaeus, 1758 Testudo macropus Walbaum, 1782 (nomen illegitimum) Testudo viridis Schneider, 1783 Testudo japonica Thunberg, 1787 Testudo marina vulgaris Lacépède, 1788 Testudo viridisquamosa Lacépède, 1788 Testudo mydas macropus Suckow, 1798 Chelonia mydas — Brongniart, 1800 Testudo chloronotos Bechstein, 1800 Testudo cepediana Daudin, 1801 Testudo rugosa Daudin, 1801 Chelone mydas — Brongniart, 1805 Chelonia japonica — Schweigger, 1812 Chelonia virgata Schweigger, 1812 Caretta cepedii Merrem, 1820 Caretta esculenta Merrem, 1820 Caretta thunbergii Merrem, 1820 Caretta mydas — Fitzinger, 1826 Caretta virgata — Fitzinger, 1826 Chelonia lachrymata Cuvier, 1829 Chelonia maculosa Cuvier, 1829 Chelonia midas [sic] Wagler, 1830 (ex errore) Chelonia mydas var. japonica — Gray, 1831 Chelonia esculenta — Wiegmann & Ruthe, 1832 Chelonia bicarinata Lesson, 1834 Chelonia marmorata A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1835 Chelonia (Chelonia) cepedeana [sic] Fitzinger, 1835 (ex errore) Chelonia viridis — Temminck & Schlegel, 1835 Mydas mydas — Cocteau, 1838 Mydasea mydas — Gervais, 1843 Euchelonia mydas — Tschudi, 1846 Megemys mydas — Gistel, 1848 Chelonia lacrymata [sic] Agassiz, 1857 (ex errore) Chelonia formosa Girard, 1858 Chelonia tenuis Girard, 1858 Euchelys macropus — Girard, 1858 Chelone macropus — Strauch, 1862 Chelone maculosa — Strauch, 1862 Chelone marmorata — Strauch, 1862 Chelone virgata — Strauch, 1862 Chelone viridis — Strauch, 1862 Chelonia albiventer Nardo, 1864 Thalassiochelys albiventer — Günther, 1865 Chelonia agassizii Bocourt, 1868 Mydas viridis — Gray, 1870 Chelone midas — Cope, 1871 Chelonia lata Philippi, 1887 Chelone mydas — Boulenger, 1889 Chelonia mydas mydas — Mertens & L. Müller, 1928 Caretta thunbergi [sic] H.M. Smith, 1931 (ex errore) Chelonia mydas agassizii — Carr, 1952 Chelonia mydas agassizi [sic] Schmidt, 1953 (ex errore) Chelonia mydas carrinegra Caldwell, 1962 Chelonia agazisii [sic] Tamayo, 1962 (ex errore) Testudo nigrita Tamayo, 1962 Chelonia agassizi — Carr, 1967 Chelonia mydus [sic] Nutaphand, 1979 (ex errore) Chelonia mydas carinegra [sic] Nutaphand, 1979 (ex errore) Testudo chloronotus [sic] H.M. Smith & R.B. Smith, 1980 (ex errore) Chelone albiventer — Márquez, 1990 Caretta thumbergii [sic] Sharma, 1998 (ex errore) Chelonia mydas viridis — Karl & Bowen, 1999

The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle,^[4] is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia.^[5] Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but it is also found in the Indian Ocean.^[6][7] The common name refers to the usually green fat found beneath its carapace, due to its diet strictly being seagrass,^[8] not to the color of its carapace, which is olive to black.

The dorsoventrally flattened body of C. mydas is covered by a large, teardrop-shaped carapace; it has a pair of large, paddle-like flippers. It is usually lightly colored, although in the eastern Pacific populations, parts of the carapace can be almost black. Unlike other members of its family, such as the hawksbill sea turtle, C. mydas is mostly herbivorous. The adults usually inhabit shallow lagoons, feeding mostly on various species of seagrasses.^[9] The turtles bite off the tips of the blades of seagrass, which keeps the grass healthy.

Like other sea turtles, green sea turtles migrate long distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches. Many islands worldwide are known as Turtle Island due to green sea turtles nesting on their beaches. Females crawl out on beaches, dig nests, and lay eggs during the night. Later, hatchlings emerge, and scramble into the water. Those that reach maturity may live to 90 years in the wild.^[6]

C. mydas is listed as endangered by the IUCN and CITES and is protected from exploitation in most countries.^[10] It is illegal to collect, harm, or kill them. In addition, many countries have laws and ordinances to protect nesting areas. However, turtles are still in danger due to human activity. In some countries, turtles and their eggs are still hunted for food. Pollution indirectly harms turtles at both population and individual scales. Many turtles die after being caught in fishing nets. In addition, real estate development often causes habitat loss by eliminating nesting beaches.