--- title: "Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "The only sea turtle that is mainly a plant-eater, with a map in its head that is at least partly magnetic." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/green-sea-turtle-1.webp" published: "2026-10-05" updated: "2026-10-10" --- # Green Sea Turtle (*Chelonia mydas*) > **Status**: Checked against 5 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: The only sea turtle that is mainly a plant-eater, with a map in its head that is at least partly magnetic. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Krautrock & Electronic Pioneers // Harmonia, "Deluxe (Immer Wieder)" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/5SVoJvrYNBdSrRvdp6oaQ6) > **Vibe Match**: Every 2 to 5 years a female green turtle swims hundreds to thousands of miles back to the beach where she hatched, steering by a map that is at least partly magnetic. Harmonia's "Deluxe (Immer Wieder)", "again and again", rides one long motorik groove and keeps circling back to it. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Chelonia mydas* - **Danger Level**: Low - **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2025-2.rlts.t4615a285108125.en)) - **Superpower**: Navigates with a map that is at least partly based on Earth's magnetic field - **Habitat**: Coastal waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean, mostly subtropical and temperate, plus nesting beaches - **Diet**: Mostly seagrasses and algae, plus sponges, invertebrates and discarded fish when available - **Tags**: reptile, ocean, herbivore, migratory, super-navigator ## Natural History & Behavior ## A salad-eating reptile The green sea turtle is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle. A typical adult is 3 to 4 feet long and weighs 300 to 350 pounds. Its shell is dark brown, grey or olive. The name "green" comes from the color of its fat, not its shell. Green turtles are the only sea turtles that are mainly herbivores. Their diet is mostly algae and seagrasses, though they may also eat invertebrates and discarded fish if available. In a Texas study of gut contents from 420 dead immature green turtles, animal matter remained a frequently eaten item, and the authors suggest these young turtles are better classified as omnivores. ## A very slow life Females reach maturity at 25 to 35 years old. Green turtles are estimated to live 70 years or more. Every 2 to 5 years, adults swim hundreds to thousands of miles each way between feeding grounds and nesting beaches. The turtles are found worldwide, mostly in subtropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and in the Mediterranean Sea. A female returns to a beach in the general area where she hatched, decades earlier. A study in *Nature* showed that the green sea turtle has a map that is at least partly based on geomagnetic cues, which are clues from Earth's magnetic field. > **Beach crowds** On average, 30,000 females nest per season at Tortuguero in Costa Rica. At Raine Island on the Great Barrier Reef, up to 60,000 females nest on the island and its surrounding reef in a peak season. ## Nesting and hatching A nest holds about 110 eggs, and a female nests every 2 weeks over several months. After about two months in the warm sand, the eggs hatch. Hatchlings head for the brightest horizon, which on an undeveloped beach is the open horizon over the ocean. Hatchlings live for several years in the open ocean. Juveniles eventually travel to nearshore feeding grounds in shallow coastal habitats. ## Sharks change where turtles dine In Shark Bay, Australia, tiger sharks threaten green turtles. Researchers found that turtles in poor body condition picked rich but risky spots. Turtles in good condition chose safer spots with less food. When the risk of shark attack was low, turtles in good condition moved into the richer spots too. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is the green sea turtle endangered? The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern. That is a separate question from US law: NOAA Fisheries lists 11 distinct population segments under the Endangered Species Act, three as endangered and eight as threatened. *(Source: [NOAA Fisheries]())* ### What do baby green turtles eat? Before they move to coastal feeding grounds, young turtles forage on plant and animal life in drifting communities in the open ocean, such as floating Sargassum seaweed. *(Source: [NOAA Fisheries]())* ### In how many countries do green turtles live? They nest in over 80 countries and live in the coastal areas of more than 140. *(Source: [NOAA Fisheries]())* ## Sources 1. [Green Turtle. NOAA Fisheries.]() 2. [Wallace & Broderick (2025). Chelonia mydas. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T4615A285108125.]() 3. [Lohmann et al. (2004). Geomagnetic map used in sea-turtle navigation. Nature.]() 4. [Heithaus et al. (2007). State-dependent risk-taking by green sea turtles mediates top-down effects of tiger shark intimidation in a marine ecosystem. Journal of Animal Ecology.]() 5. [Howell & Shaver (2021). Foraging Habits of Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Frontiers in Marine Science.]() *Published October 5, 2026. 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