Green Sea Turtle
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- ''This page redirects from Chelonia, which is the genus name of this turtle, but has also been used for the order Testudines of all turtles and tortoises.
The green sea turtle was so named because of the green color of its body fat. The adult turtle's algae diet is responsible for the color in its tissues.
Several populations of this species exist, and all are in a vulnerable state. The Hawaii and Southern California green sea turtles are designated threatened, and the Florida and Mexico populations are endangered. They have long been used as a meat source by many different peoples, reducing their numbers. This species is used in turtle soup. They are also caught for their shells, leathery skin, and fat.
Other threats to the species' survival include habitat destruction on their beaches, being caught as by-catch by fishermen, egg poaching, trash pollution in the oceans, collisions with watercraft, and artificial lighting on nesting beaches, which confuses the hatchlings and lures them toward roads instead of toward the sea where they should go. A disease called fibropapillomatosis is also a problem in some green sea turtle populations.
Florida and the
Green Turtles on wharf at Key West, Florida
Important feeding grounds for the green sea turtle in Florida include Indian River Lagoon, the Florida Keys, Florida Bay, Homosassa, Crystal River and Cedar Key.
The primary nesting sites in U.S. Atlantic waters are along the east coast of Florida, particularly Hutchinson Island, with additional sites in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Sites in Suriname and in Tortuguero, Costa Rica are also reported. This western Atlantic population reaches sexual maturity at anywhere from 20-50 years.
Hawaii
A Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle
The turtle is found throughout the Hawaiian Islands, all the way to Midway The native Hawaiian word honu is often used. Ninety percent of the Hawaiian population breed and nest at French Frigate Shoals, from April to November. Males apparently make the journey every year, while females make it at two to four year invervals. Sexual maturity comes at about 25 years.
The honu has made a remarkable comeback and is now the subject of eco-tourism and has become something of a state mascot. Students of the Hawaiian Preparatory Academy (a high school) on the Big Island have tagged thousands of specimens over the past two decades.
Borneo
Conservation efforts have been boosted by eco-tourism in Sabah, Borneo. The island of Pulau Selingaan (also known as 'Turtle Island') is home to a turtle hatchery. Staff on the island collect some of the eggs laid each night and place them in a hatchery to protect them from predators. Incubation is approximately 60 days. Once hatched, tourists are permitted to assist in the release of the baby turtles into the sea.
References
- Seminoff (2004). [Chelonia mydas]. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Database entry includes a lengthy justification of why this species is endangered
- [Chelonia mydas (TSN 173833)]. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 6 February 2006.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service sites:
- *[Floridian and Mexican populations]
- *[Hawaiian population]
- [Audubon Observes Florida Sea-Turtles] The great naturalist James Audubon observes the nesting behavior of Florida Sea-Turtles including the Green Sea-Turtle (1832).
- Daniel Glick, "Back From the Brink", Smithsonian, September, 2005, pp. 54-55.
External link
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