Green Sea Turtle

Description:

Sea turtle are characterized by a tought shell that protects the entire body (Top, bottom, and sides). The shell covering the the back is called carapace, and the shell on the underside is the Plastron. Unlike fresh water turtles sea turtles cannot retract their heads. Sea turtles have flipper instead of legs, and they use their front pair to pull them self through the water in a breast-stroke fashion. Turtles are poferfull swimmers, they spend almost their entire life at sea, some species are said to migrate 1,000s of miles or more. Like other reptiles, sea turtle breath air and during normal activity must surface every few minutes; when resting it can remain underwater for over two hours. When male green turtle reach maturity (perhaps 25 year old), they grow a conspicuous long heavy tail. In mature ones and females have a short small tail.

Habitat:

A sea turtle's only essential tie to land is reproductive. Female of all turtle species return to their natal beach every year to nest. After mating offshore, they craw up the beaches at night to dig a pit and deposit their eggs. They do not nest every year but when reproductively active they may nest up to five times in a season.

Notes:

Hawaiian name: Honu, and in Hawaii all turtles are called Honu without distention. Their get the name green turtle since its internal fat is of a greenish color. I believe this is an endanger species and in my opinion the lost of habitat is a huge contributor. In the United states, and in the state of Hawaii, all sea turtle are protected by law. It is inlegal to catch or harass them. If you see a turtle underwater, swim gently or just float and it will likely ignore you and allow you to get quite close. If you see a resting turtle, do not closly approach it or it will disturb it. Never attempt to touch a sea turtle in particular NEVER try to "ride" them as they get quickly exhausted and it prevents it from surfacing to breath; Imagine as if someone is trying to ride you as you come up for air.