Green Sea Turtle
About the Green Sea Turtle
One of the largest sea turtles and the only herbivore among them. They can hold their breath for 5 hours by slowing their heart rate to one beat every 9 minutes. They migrate up to 2,600 km between feeding and nesting grounds. Females return to the same beach where they were born to lay eggs. Their digestion of seagrass creates nutrient-rich waste that feeds reef ecosystems. They are named for the green color of their fat, not their shell. They can live 80+ years. They are endangered due to hunting, egg collection, and habitat loss. Their sex is determined by nest temperature - warmer nests produce females.
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