---
title: "What the sources say about the Green Sea Turtle | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "36 claims from the Green Sea Turtle profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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---

# What the sources say about the Green Sea Turtle (*Chelonia mydas*)

> 36 claims from the Green Sea Turtle profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Green Sea Turtle](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/green-sea-turtle/)

## Green Turtle. NOAA Fisheries.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/green-sea-turtle

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The only sea turtle that is mainly a plant-eater | They are unique among sea turtles in that they are primarily herbivores (note: tagline; primarily herbivores rendered mainly a plant-eater; "only" renders "unique among sea turtles"; NOAA also says "the only herbivorous species of sea turtle") |
| Coastal waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean, mostly subtropical and temperate, plus nesting beaches | Green turtles are found worldwide primarily in subtropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and in the Mediterranean Sea. (note: stats.habitat; nesting on sandy beaches: Adult female sea turtles return to land to lay their eggs on sandy beaches) |
| Mostly seagrasses and algae, plus sponges, invertebrates and discarded fish when available | eating mostly seagrasses and algae, although they may also eat sponges and other invertebrates and discarded fish when available (note: stats.diet) |
| The green sea turtle is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle. | 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. | A typical adult is 3 to 4 feet long and weighs 300 to 350 pounds |
| Its shell is dark brown, grey or olive. | they have dark brown, grey, or olive colored shells |
| The name "green" comes from the color of its fat, not its shell. | The name “green turtle” comes from the color of their fat (not their shells) |
| Green turtles are the only sea turtles that are mainly herbivores. | They are unique among sea turtles in that they are primarily herbivores (note: "only" renders "unique among sea turtles"; NOAA also says "the only herbivorous species of sea turtle") |
| Their diet is mostly algae and seagrasses, though they may also eat invertebrates and discarded fish if available. | Their diet mainly consists of algae and seagrasses, though they may also eat invertebrates and other animal matter (e.g., discarded fish and bait) if available. |
| Females reach maturity at 25 to 35 years old. | Female green turtles reach maturity at 25 to 35 years. |
| Green turtles are estimated to live 70 years or more. | Unknown, but estimated to be 70 years or more |
| Every 2 to 5 years, adults swim hundreds to thousands of miles each way between feeding grounds and nesting beaches. | Green turtles migrate hundreds to thousands of miles each way between their foraging grounds and nesting beaches. ... Adults migrate every 2 to 5 years from their coastal foraging areas to the waters off the 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. | Green turtles are found worldwide primarily in subtropical and temperate regions 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. | females return to nest on a beach in the general area where they hatched decades earlier |
| On average, 30,000 females nest per season at Tortuguero in Costa Rica. | Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica—30,000 females nest per season (on average) |
| 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. | Raine Island on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia—During a peak nesting season, up to 60,000 females nest on this island and the surrounding reef |
| A nest holds about 110 eggs, and a female nests every 2 weeks over several months. | Green turtles lay about 110 eggs per nest and will nest every 2 weeks over several months |
| After about two months in the warm sand, the eggs hatch. | After about two months incubating 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. | to crawl towards the brightest horizon. On undeveloped beaches, this is toward 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. | hatchlings swim to offshore areas, where they live for several years in pelagic (open ocean) habitat. Juveniles eventually leave the open ocean habitat and travel to nearshore foraging grounds in shallow coastal habitats |
| NOAA Fisheries lists 11 distinct population segments under the Endangered Species Act, three as endangered and eight as threatened. | 11 distinct population segments (DPS) listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Three of the DPSs are listed as endangered and eight are listed as threatened under the ESA. (note: current NOAA species page, read 2026-10-05; ESA is a legal status separate from the IUCN category) |
| young turtles forage on plant and animal life in drifting communities in the open ocean, such as floating Sargassum seaweed. | Prior to recruiting to nearshore foraging areas, pelagic juveniles forage on plant and animal life found in oceanic drift communities (such as pelagic Sargassum communities). |
| They nest in over 80 countries and live in the coastal areas of more than 140. | They nest in over 80 countries and live in the coastal areas of more than 140 countries. |
| Every 2 to 5 years a female green turtle swims hundreds to thousands of miles back to the beach where she hatched | Green turtles migrate hundreds to thousands of miles each way between their foraging grounds and nesting beaches. ... Adults migrate every 2 to 5 years from their coastal foraging areas to the waters off the nesting beaches (note: vibe.reason (task #1096 re-pair, duplicate song with goat)) |
| back to the beach where she hatched | females return to nest on a beach in the general area where they hatched decades earlier (note: vibe.reason) |

## Wallace & Broderick (2025). Chelonia mydas. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T4615A285108125.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2025-2.rlts.t4615a285108125.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: stats.conservationStatus; 2024 assessment, category read through GBIF's copy of the Red List) |
| The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern. | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). |

## Lohmann et al. (2004). Geomagnetic map used in sea-turtle navigation. Nature.

https://doi.org/10.1038/428909a

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| with a map in its head that is at least partly magnetic | the green sea-turtle (Chelonia mydas) has a map that is at least partly based on geomagnetic cues (note: tagline) |
| Navigates with a map that is at least partly based on Earth's magnetic field | has a map that is at least partly based on geomagnetic cues (note: stats.superpower; geomagnetic rendered as Earth's magnetic field) |
| 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. | Here we show that the green sea-turtle (Chelonia mydas) has a map that is at least partly based on geomagnetic cues. (note: clause after the comma defines geomagnetic (geo = Earth); no source states it) |
| steering by a map that is at least partly magnetic | Here we show that the green sea-turtle (Chelonia mydas) has a map that is at least partly based on geomagnetic cues. (note: vibe.reason) |

## 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.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2007.01260.x

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In Shark Bay, Australia, tiger sharks threaten green turtles. | In the relatively pristine seagrass community of Shark Bay, Australia, we found that herbivorous green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas Linnaeus, 1758) threatened by tiger sharks |
| Researchers found that turtles in poor body condition picked rich but risky spots. | Turtles in poor body condition selected profitable, high-risk microhabitats |
| Turtles in good condition chose safer spots with less food. | turtles in good body condition, which are more abundant, selected safer, less profitable microhabitats |
| When the risk of shark attack was low, turtles in good condition moved into the richer spots too. | When predation risk was low, however, turtles in good condition moved into more profitable microhabitats. |

## Howell & Shaver (2021). Foraging Habits of Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Frontiers in Marine Science.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.658368

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| 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. | green turtle diets from carcasses salvaged from 1987 to 2014 along the Texas coast. Digestive tract contents were examined from 420 green turtles ... Animal matter remained a frequently ingested diet item suggesting these immature green turtles are better classified as omnivores. |