#green sea turtle

sciencenetlinks:

Happy World Turtle Day!

The Chelonia mydas, or green sea turtle, is a predominantly vegetarian, marine-faring reptile who is capable of remaining submerged under water for five hours. During such an event, the turtle’s heart would slow, with up to nine minutes passing between beats. Usually, though, the turtle’s dives last less than five minutes.

Found throughout the world in tropical and subtropical waters, the green sea turtle is on the worldwide endangered species list due mostly to human infringement on its nesting beaches. Pollution, hunting, habitat loss, disease, and fishing nets have also taken their toll on the reptile.

May 23 is World Turtle Day, set aside to raise awareness about the plight of turtles, tortoises, and terrapins. Some of the oldest creatures on earth, they face endangerment due to habitat destruction, the exotic pet trade, and the black-market food industry.

Learn more about some of the 300 species of the Testudines here.

Green sea turtle by Brocken Inaglory [GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Green sea turtle

The green sea turtle is one of many endangered species that depends on Costa Rica for its survival. The Tortuguero Conservation Area is the single most important nesting site for the Atlantic subpopulation of green turtles, and serves as an epicenter for turtle conservation. 

Photo: Roy Niswanger

noaasanctuaries:

Crush, is that you? Today is the 20th anniversary of World Turtle Day, which was created to shell-ebrate and help protect turtles around the world. Our National Marine Sanctuary System is home to many species of turtles, including this green sea turtle, or honu, in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. They grow to 200 pounds or more and migrate once every two to five years across hundreds of miles of open ocean to mate and nest in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands at French Frigate Shoals. 

(Photo: John Burns/NOAA. Image description: Close view of a green sea turtle swimming.)