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 The
green turtle named for the green color of the fat under its shell. It is also known as
the black sea turtle. It is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle.
Green turtles can be found in tropical waters throughout the world. They
mainly stay near the coastline and around islands.
They are rarely observed in the open
ocean.
Green turtles have smooth shells. Their front legs move like wings
when they move through the water. They can
stay under the water for over 30 minutes without going to the surface to breathe!
Adult green turtles are about 100 centimeters in length and weigh between 136-180 kilograms.
The largest green turtle ever found was 152 centimeters in length
and weighed 395 kilograms.
The females lay about 100 eggs
on sandy beaches. The eggs hatch in about 60 days. Hatchling
green turtles weigh about 25 grams and are about 50 millimeters long.
They are black on top and white underneath. They find their
way to the ocean in about 3 months. Baby green turtles eat worms and aquatic insects. But adult
turtles mostly eat seaweed and sea grass.
Today, green turtles are endangered. They were a source of food, tools, and ornamentation for early Hawaiians.
In other parts of the world, they face a serious threat from the destruction and loss of nesting sites. Nowadays, many people are
trying hard to protect them. |
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