Green Sea Turtle

Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

Hawaiian Name: Honu

Species Description:

Green sea turtles are the largest of all the hard-shelled turtles, measuring up to 3 ft (.91 m) long and weighing 300-350 lhs (136-159 kg).  They are unique among sea turtles in that they are herbivorous, feeding primarily on sea grasses and algae.  This diet is thought to give them a greenish colored fat from which they take their name.

Habitat:

Green sea turtles primarily use three types of habitat: oceanic beaches for nesting, convergence zones in the open ocean, and benthic feeding grounds in coastal areas.  When migrating from foraging areas to nesting beaches adult females may travel hundreds or thousands of kilometers each way.  After emerging from the nest, hatchlings swim to offshore areas where they are believed to live for several years.  Once the juveniles reach a certain age/size range, they leave the pelagic habitat and travel to near shore foraging grounds.

Status:

 Listed under the Endangered Species Act as:

• Endangered – breeding populations in Florida and the Pacific Coast of Mexico
• Threatened – all other populations

 Fun Facts:

• Hatchlings weigh only about .055 lbs (25 g) and are about 2 in. long
• Age at sexual maturity is estimated at 20-50 years
• Adult sea turtles feed throughout the main Hawaiian islands and undergo a long migration to the Northwestern Hawaiian islands, where the majority of nesting and mating occurs.