Green Sea Turtle

Chelonia mydas

The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a large marine turtle found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. The name refers to the greenish fat beneath the shell, not to a bright green carapace; adults are usually olive, brown, or mottled with a smooth rounded shell. Young turtles feed on small animals and drifting plants, while adults in many regions graze seagrass beds and algae. Females migrate between feeding grounds and sandy nesting beaches, where they lay multiple clutches during a season.

Green sea turtles are not companion animals and are protected in many countries, so human care mainly occurs through licensed rehabilitation centers, aquariums, and conservation projects. Field teams monitor nests, reduce artificial beach lighting, protect hatchlings from disturbance, and work with fisheries to lower bycatch. Rehabilitators deal with boat strikes, entanglement, cold shock, and fibropapillomatosis, using seawater systems, careful nutrition, and release assessments. Long-term stewardship also depends on healthy seagrass habitat and beaches that can shift naturally as coasts change.