Green Sea Turtle
AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL OF THE OCEAN
Description
- reptile
- can grow to 5 feet long, 700 pounds
- scaly, green skin
- olive/brown shell
- communicate with physical motions
- largest among sea turtles
Habitat
- warm, tropical areas
- lives along Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
- coastal waters, regions along equator
- lives in water, except for brief periods on land
Food Chain
Prey:
- crustaceans (crabs) from sea floor
- cnidarians (jellyfish) drifting in deeper waters
- sea kelp and sea grasses growing on sea floor
Predators for hatchlings:
- crabs, gulls (on land)
- crabs, large fish (in water)
Predators for adults:
- sharks
Endangerment
Reasons for endangerment:
- hunted for meat, eggs, shell, skin
- boat propeller accidents
- fishnet-caused drowning
- ocean pollution
- destruction of nesting grounds
- climate change
Conservation
- raising awareness
- predicting areas boats should avoid
- government funding
- rangers being trained to monitor nesting grounds
- developing alternatives to turtle-poaching businesses
Sea Turtle at Lady Elliot Island
Matthew Ridley. "Sea Turtle at Lady Elliot Island."
Works Cited for Photos:
Dunne, Andrew. Deep blue dash explored. 2009. Photograph. University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia. Web. 11 Apr 2013. <http://www.uq.edu.au/graduatecontact/2009/regulars/cutting-edge-regulars/deep-blue-dash-explored/>.
Freund , Jürgen. Green Turtle. 2013. Photograph. World Wildlife FundWeb. 11 Apr 2013. <http://worldwildlife.org/species/green-turtle>.
Spears, Dieter. Turtle and dugong footage causes controversy. 2012. Photograph. Australian Geographic, Queensland, Australia. Web. 11 Apr 2013. <http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/turtle-and-dugong-footage-causes-controversy.htm>.