Green turtle

June 1, 2023

Did you know?

Green turtles are the largest of the hard-shelled sea turtles.

About Green turtles

Like many species of sea turtles, green turtles enter the open ocean after hatching, where they live for several years. Larger juveniles return to nearshore, coastal waters, where they spend several years foraging until they reach maturity. Though adult green turtles undergo extensive reproductive migrations, during non-breeding years they can be found in the same feeding habitats with the juveniles.

Diet

During their oceanic phase, green turtles are omnivorous, but upon returning to shallow habitats they become herbivorous, consuming mostly seagrass and algae.

Distribution

Green turtles have nesting grounds in more than 80 countries around the world and likely migrate through at least 140 countries. They are found mostly in tropical seas and are highly migratory.

Fun facts

Green turtles return to the same beaches where they hatched, making reproductive migrations every 2 to 5 years. Green turtles are named for the color of their fat, rather than their shells.