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Green turtle

Scientific name:  Chelonia mydas
Class:  Reptiles
Continent:  Central America and the Caribbean
Habitat:  Océanos y mares
Diet:  Herbívoro
Weight:  200 - 395 kg
Size:  1,4 - 1,6 m
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Meet the Green Turtle!

The Green Turtle is the largest of the hard-shelled turtles and is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. The fat under their shell is what gives them their green color. It has a flattened body, a head with a short neck and fins adapted for swimming. Its snout is very short, and its beak is not hooked, unlike its close relative, the hawksbill turtle. Their shell has color patterns that change over time: black for baby turtles, dark brown or olive green for young ones and completely brown for adult turtles.

What are its habits?

Fundamentally herbivorous, its diet consists of a large amount of macroalgae (except in the case of juveniles, which mainly eat small crustaceans). It spends most of its life in shallow coastal waters that are rich in seagrass. Green turtles return to nesting beaches to lay between 100 and 200 eggs every two to four years. Gestation lasts between 45 and 70 days. Mating seasons vary among the different populations, while life expectancy can reach 75 years.

Conservation
Extinct
Extinct in the wild
Critically endangered
Endangered
Vulnerable
Near threatened
Least concern
Insufficient data
Not evaluated

DID YOU KNOW ...

Green turtle meat and eggs have been used for centuries in the cuisines of China and the islands of the Indonesian archipelago. Hunting has contributed to their exploitation.

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Learn more about some of the Zoo's animals in a unique adventure

Learn more about some of the Zoo's animals in a unique adventure