![]() There are two subspecies of Green Sea Turtle: Young Green Sea Turtles are prey to sea birds, crabs, and fish. The main predators of adult Green Sea Turtles are sharks, specifically tiger sharks, and humans. Green Sea Turtles reach sexual maturity between 10 and 24 years of age and nesting occurs every 3 - 6 years. The first few years of life is the most hazardous for Green Sea Turtles as that is when the are most vulnerable to predation. When they reach the sea they will float away and spend the next couple of years eating plankton until they are mature enough to feed on sea grasses. Once at the surface they will cross the beach to the sea. This group of eggs is called a clutch and she will cover them over with sand to protect them from the sun and any predators.Īfter 6 - 8 weeks the young turtles will hatch and they will move their flippers to make their way to the surface. She will dig a large pit above the high tide line and in it she will lay 100 - 200 eggs. After copulation, and when the female is ready to lay her eggs, she will crawl ashore after dark. Green Sea Turtles mate in shallow water approximately 1 Km (0.62 miles) from the nesting site. When they are young they will also eat marine invertebrates but as they get older their intake of plant matter increases until they become completely herbivorous. Green Sea Turtles are herbivores and they mainly feed upon seaweed and sea grasses. There are two major subpopulations of Green Sea Turtle, the atlantic population and the pacific population. Green Sea Turtles are found in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate waters worldwide. They have a small head that is covered in brown scales that have a light coloured edging and they have paddle-like limbs which enables them to be graceful, streamline swimmers. The plastron (underside) is lighter coloured. The carapace (shell) of a Green Sea Turtle has smooth, non-overlapping scutes and these are coloured various shades of brown and have patterns that change over time. In the wild they can live for up to 80 years. They can reach lengths between 1 and 1.2 m (3.5 - 4 ft) and their average weight is in the region of 200 Kgs (441 lbs). Green Sea Turtles are one of the largest and most wide spread marine turtles. Red circles are known major nesting sites. Yellow circles represent minor nesting locations.
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