![]() Incubation typically takes longer in the wet season. Both sexes incubate in white, soft shells for 30-90 days depending whether or not it is the wet or dry season. Eggs that are laid in cooler environments less than 28.5☌ tend to produce more males than females, and warm nests greater than 30.3☌ are known to hatch more females than males. Like many turtles, green sea turtles' development is affected by temperature. Range basal metabolic rate 47.9 to 73.8 cm3.O2/g/hrįemale green sea turtles lay eggs 35-58 mm in diameter.( "Status and distribution of the green turtle, Chelonia mydas, in the wider Caribbean region", 2001 "The anatomy of sea turtles", 2001 Witzel, 1982) They also have a basal metabolic rate of 47.9 to 73.8 cm^3 oxygen/hour. Adult green turtles, male or female, tend to be about 100 to 120 cm long in carapace length and weigh around 150 to 200 kg when reaching adulthood. Juveniles measure to about 40 cm in carapace length and subadults will measure between 70 to 100 cm. Their plastrons are white and carapaces are blue-black. As hatchlings, green turtles have an average weight of 25g and are 5 cm long. Green turtles are the second largest overall species of sea turtles. Their cloacal opening is located more posterior on the tail and past the end of their carapace. Witzel (1982) reports that that male green turtles are slightly smaller in carapace length, have longer claws, and longer tails where their reproductive organs are located. Female green turtles have smaller tails and a cloacal opening between the anus and tip of the tail. ![]() Males and females differ morphologically by the length of their tail and cloacal openings. Sexual dimorphism isn't completely recognized in green sea turtles until early adulthood. The plastron also consists of four scutes. The carapace is round and consists of four lateral overlapping scutes. Their jaws are short and serrated to properly rip and tear plants apart. Green turtles have short snouts and strong beaks that cover the bones of the jaw. Their skull shape is described as round and smooth. The scales are originally black at hatching, but then change color over the course of 27-50 years as the turtle matures. They have only one pair of prefrontal scales, although other species of sea turtles that have multiple pairs. Green sea turtles are so named because of the greenish color of their subdermal fat. ( "Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)", 2015 Seminoff, 2004 Stokes, et al., 2015) Once the juveniles have matured, they will return to their natal beach for mating. Juveniles are known to spend several years drifting in the open ocean as they grow and mature. After the eggs hatch, juvenile green sea turtles will then return to the ocean. Once females find a suitable beach with accessible sloping platforms, the green turtles will lay their eggs in the sand and then return to the ocean. Male and female green turtles use major current systems when migrating to nesting beaches. They forage in coastal areas with plentiful of algae and sea grass. Green sea turtles are common in shallow tropical and subtropical waters as well as coastline beaches. ( "Status and distribution of the green turtle, Chelonia mydas, in the wider Caribbean region", 2001 Hirth, 1997 Seminoff, 2004 Stokes, et al., 2015) These areas include parts of the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and northern Indian Ocean. ![]() Radio tagging nesting females shows that green turtles are migratory, and their non-breeding range includes locations from as far north as 40 degrees north to as far south as 40 degrees south. Overall, green turtles are known to settle on the beaches of over 140 countries. They are also observed nesting on the beaches of Israel, Syria, Egypt and Libya. ![]() During the months that this species breeds (June through August), green sea turtles are most frequently found nesting on the coastlines of Cyprus and Turkey. Green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas) are a cosmopolitan species found in tropical and subtropical waters. ![]()
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