Green Sea Turtle
The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) reaches a carapace length of over 1 meter and a weight of up to 190 kg. As the only predominantly herbivorous sea turtle, it plays an important role in seagrass ecosystems. Its populations are recovering thanks to conservation measures.
biology.reptiles
Metrics
Scientific Name
Linnaeus, 1758. Only species of genus Chelonia. Family Cheloniidae.
Carapace Length
Total body length up to 1.5 m.
Mass
Maximum approx. 200 kg (395 lb) documented.
Lifespan
Sexual maturity only at 20–50 years. Maximum estimate up to 118 years.
Relations
A great white shark is about 7 times heavier than a green sea turtle.
Factor: 7 × · Direction: A_lt_B
Explanations
The Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) is the only sea turtle that feeds mainly on sea grass – an unusual behavior that makes it a key herbivore in coastal ecosystems. With a carapace length of over 1.1 m and weights up to 150 kg, it's an impressive marine turtle inhabiting tropical and subtropical waters while reaching speeds of up to 35 km/h. Remarkably, its populations are recovering thanks to conservation efforts and are now listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, no longer threatened.
Sources
Least Concern (2025, herabgestuft von Endangered).
Related Cards
Provenance
Status
seed
Review
none
Last Updated
2026-02-17