Do you think you know the green turtle? Test your knowledge of green turtle FaunaFacts with this trivia quiz!
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The green turtle’s common name derives from the color of what?
Subdermal Fat
Green turtles are so named because of the greenish color of their subdermal fat, which is only found in a layer between their inner organs and their shell.
Shell
Skin
Anal Secretions
What is the green turtle’s circadian rhythm?
Diurnal
Green turtles are diurnal.
Cathemeral
Nocturnal
Crepuscular
What is the green turtle’s evaluation on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species?
Endangered
The green turtle is classified as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Critically Endangered
Where do green turtles lay their eggs?
Sandy Beaches
Once females find a suitable beach for their nest sites with accessible sloping platforms, they begin clearing the area of debris. Afterwards, the female digs a hole in the sand and lays a clutch of eggs.
Coral Reefs
Shallow Waters
Deep Waters
Where is the largest green turtle colony located?
Great Barrier Reef
The largest green turtle colony is located at the Great Barrier Reef.
Apo Reef
Tubbataha Reef
Amazon Reef
How many green turtle subspecies are recognized?
4
There are currently 4 recognized subspecies of green turtle.
0
8
12
What do green turtles use to help them navigate?
Wave Propogation Direction
Green turtles use a sense of wave propogation direction to help them navigate under water and rely on magnetic channels to assist their orientation in deep waters. The turtles’ inner ear can detect the acceleration and direction of waves, which assists their sense of direction.
Magnetic Channels
Green turtles use a sense of wave propogation direction to help them navigate under water and rely on magnetic channels to assist their orientation in deep waters. The turtles’ inner ear can detect the acceleration and direction of waves, which assists their sense of direction.
Sonar
Ultraviolet Light
How many pairs of prefrontal scales does a green turtle have?
1
Green turtles have only one pair of prefrontal scales, although other species of sea turtles have multiple pairs.
0
2
3
What sense do green turtles primarily rely on to detect food?
Vision
Green turtles primarily use vision to detect plants and other prey and use visual displays when communicating.
Smell
Hearing
Taste
What is the green turtle’s mating system?
Polygynandrous
Green sea turtles are polygynandrous, meaning that, both, females and males will have multiple mates.
Polygynous
Monogamous
Polyandrous
For what are green turtles hunted?
Eggs
Although many countries have established laws protecting sea turtles, green sea turtles are still poached for their eggs and meat in certain areas around the world, such as South East Asia. The shells are also displayed as decoration or used to make jewelry.
Meat
Although many countries have established laws protecting sea turtles, green sea turtles are still poached for their eggs and meat in certain areas around the world, such as South East Asia. The shells are also displayed as decoration or used to make jewelry.
Shells
Although many countries have established laws protecting sea turtles, green sea turtles are still poached for their eggs and meat in certain areas around the world, such as South East Asia. The shells are also displayed as decoration or used to make jewelry.
Medicine
Green turtles change color over the course of their lives.
True
Green turtles change color over the course of their lives as they mature.
False
How many eggs does a green turtle clutch contain?
75-200
Each green turtle clutch can include 75-200 eggs.
750-2,000
7-20
7,500-20,000
What are the parasitic trematode eggs that kill green turtles known as?
Flukes
Green sea turtles suffer from parasitic trematode eggs known as flukes.
Flakes
Flippers
Follicles
What color are green turtle eggs?
White
Female green turtles lay white eggs that measure 35-58 millimeters in diameter.
Green
Black
Blue
What is the green turtle’s parental investment?
None
There is no parental investment by green turtles beyond the mother’s egg-laying and camouflaging of the nest.
Maternal
Paternal
Both, Maternal & Paternal
Green turtles eggs laid in cooler environments produce more of what sex?
Male
Eggs that are laid in cooler environments, less than 28.5°Celsius, tend to produce more males than females, and warm nests, greater than 30.3°Celsius, are known to hatch more females than males.
Female
Green turtles will revisit their natal beaches to breed.
True
Female green turtles are known to revisit their natal beaches to breed.
False
When does green turtle egg incubation take longer?
Wet Season
Incubation typically takes longer in the wet season.
Dry Season
How long does green turtle egg incubation take?
30-90 Days
Incubation takes 30-90 days, depending on whether or not it is the wet or dry season.
3-9 Days
90-130 Days
130-190 Days
Which green turtle builds the nest?
Mother
Once females find a suitable beach for their nest sites with accessible sloping platforms, they begin clearing the area of debris. Afterwards, the female digs a hole in the sand with her front legs and lays a clutch of eggs.
Father
Both, Mother & Father
Escort
What does a green turtle do immediately upon hatching?
Flee to the Ocean
Immediately after green turtles eggs hatch, the juvenile sea turtles begin their journey towards the ocean.
Eat its Eggshell
Fight its Siblings
Find Food
Adult green turtles have predators.
True
Green turtle hatchlings are at a higher risk of predation than adult green sea turtles. Juvenile and mature sea turtles are also preyed on by sharks.
False
What is the green turtle’s social system?
Solitary
Green turtles are normally solitary, but travel in large groups that usually originate from the same natal beach.
Social
Solitary Males, Social Females
Social Males, Solitary Females
What systems does the green turtle inhabit?
Terrestrial
Green turtles inhabit terrestrial and aquatic systems.
Aquatic
Green turtles inhabit terrestrial and aquatic systems.
Arboreal
Fossorial
Where is the largest nesting ground of green sea turtles?
Raine Island
In the Pacific Ocean, the largest nesting ground for green sea turtles remains the beaches of Raine Island of Australia.
Fraser Island
Lord Howe Island
Rottnest Island
Green turtles inhabit which oceans?
Pacific
Green turtles inhabit parts of the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and northern Indian Ocean.
Atlantic
Green turtles inhabit parts of the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and northern Indian Ocean.
Indian
Green turtles inhabit parts of the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and northern Indian Ocean.
Arctic
What is the green turtle’s mature diet?
Herbivorous
Mature green turtles are mostly herbivorous and consume large quantities of sea grass and algae.
Omnivorous
Carnivorous
Unknown
What types of habitats do green turtles inhabit?
Neritic
Green turtles are a cosmopolitan species found in marine neritic, oceanic, intertidal, and coastal/supratidal habitats.
Oceanic
Green turtles are a cosmopolitan species found in marine neritic, oceanic, intertidal, and coastal/supratidal habitats.
Intertidal
Green turtles are a cosmopolitan species found in marine neritic, oceanic, intertidal, and coastal/supratidal habitats.
Coastal/Supratidal
Green turtles are a cosmopolitan species found in marine neritic, oceanic, intertidal, and coastal/supratidal habitats.
Green turtles are the largest overall species of sea turtles.
False
Green turtles are the second largest overall species of sea turtles after the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea).
True
What is the green turtle’s population trend?
Decreasing
Analysis of historic and recent published accounts indicate extensive subpopulation declines in all major ocean basins over the last three generations as a result of overexploitation of eggs and adult females at nesting beaches, juveniles and adults in foraging areas, and, to a lesser extent, incidental mortality relating to marine fisheries and degradation of marine and nesting habitats.
Increasing
Stable
Unknown
© Randall Ruiz, Some Rights Reserved Unsplash
What do green turtles eat?
Sea Grass
Mature green turtles are mostly herbivorous and consume large quantities of sea grass and algae.
Algae
Mature green turtles are mostly herbivorous and consume large quantities of sea grass and algae.
Fish
Shrimp
How do male and female green turtles differ?
Tail Length
Males and females differ morphologically by the length of their tail and cloacal openings. Female green sea turtles have smaller tails and a cloacal opening between the anus and tip of the tail. Male green turtles are slightly smaller in carapace length, have longer claws, and have longer tails where their reproductive organs are located. Their cloacal opening is located more posterior on the tail and past the end of their carapace.
Cloacal Opening
Males and females differ morphologically by the length of their tail and cloacal openings. Female green sea turtles have smaller tails and a cloacal opening between the anus and tip of the tail. Male green turtles are slightly smaller in carapace length, have longer claws, and have longer tails where their reproductive organs are located. Their cloacal opening is located more posterior on the tail and past the end of their carapace.
Claw Length
Males and females differ morphologically by the length of their tail and cloacal openings. Female green sea turtles have smaller tails and a cloacal opening between the anus and tip of the tail. Male green turtles are slightly smaller in carapace length, have longer claws, and have longer tails where their reproductive organs are located. Their cloacal opening is located more posterior on the tail and past the end of their carapace.
Color
What is the green turtle’s scientific name?
Chelonia mydas
The green turtle’s scientific name is Chelonia mydas.
Caretta caretta
Eretmochelys imbricata
Lepidochelys olivacea
What are alternate names for the green turtle?
Black Sea Turtle
As a species found worldwide, the green turtle has many local names, such as black sea turtle, pacific green turtle, and common sea turtle.
Common Sea Turtle
As a species found worldwide, the green turtle has many local names, such as black sea turtle, pacific green turtle, and common sea turtle.
Pacific Green Turtle
As a species found worldwide, the green turtle has many local names, such as black sea turtle, pacific green turtle, and common sea turtle.
Hawksbill Turtle
What threatens the green turtle?
Biological Resource Use
Green turtles, like other sea turtle species, are particularly susceptible to population declines because of their vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts during all life-stages, such as residential and commercial development and biological resource use.
Residential & Commercial Development
Green turtles, like other sea turtle species, are particularly susceptible to population declines because of their vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts during all life-stages, such as residential and commercial development and biological resource use.
Agriculture & Aquaculture
Invasive & Other Problematic Species, Genes, & Diseases
What is altering the behavior of nesting green turtles and causing hatchling fatalities?
Artificial Light
Because most species of sea turtles are nocturnal nesters, artificial lighting of nesting beaches may present an environmental modification that disrupts visual cues.
Air Pollution
Excessive Noise
Acid Rain
Due to warming climates, 90% of green turtles at the Great Barrier Reef are hatching what sex?
Female
Due to warming climates, 90% of green turtles at the Great Barrier Reef, the largest green turtle colony, are hatching female.
Male
What is the longest record of green turtle copulation?
119 Hours
Green sea turtle copulation can last several hours, with the longest recorded mounting episode lasting 119 hours.
9 Hours
19 Hours
99 Hours
It’s difficult to determine the sex of a green turtle until it’s what age?
20 Years
Because sexual dimorphism isn’t completely recognized in green turtles until early adulthood, it’s difficult to determine the sex until the animal is fully grown, at least 20 years old.
2 Years
12 Years
200 Years
How many clutches can a female green turtle lay in a single nesting season?
9
One female can lay 1-9 clutches in a single nesting season, but tends to average around 3.
19
1
90
How do female green turtles reject males?
Swimming Away
Females will clearly reject a male by either swimming away with their hind legs closed or biting a male if he gets too close. Female green turtles also have a refusal position, which consists of floating upward having their plastron facing the male and extending all limbs.
Biting
Females will clearly reject a male by either swimming away with their hind legs closed or biting a male if he gets too close. Female green turtles also have a refusal position, which consists of floating upward having their plastron facing the male and extending all limbs.
Refusal Position
Females will clearly reject a male by either swimming away with their hind legs closed or biting a male if he gets too close. Female green turtles also have a refusal position, which consists of floating upward having their plastron facing the male and extending all limbs.
Submission
Where does green turtle copulation take place?
Shallow Waters
Copulation occurs in the shallow waters off the shore of nesting beaches.
On Shore
Deep Waters
Water Surface
Green turtle harvesting is legal in several countries despite substantial subpopulation declines.
True
Unfortunately, harvest remains legal in several countries despite substantial subpopulation declines.
False
What color are green turtles upon hatching?
Black
Green sea turtles are black at hatching.
Green
Yellow
White
Juvenile green turtles are ___ swimmers than other species of sea turtles.
Faster
Juvenile green turtles are said to be faster swimmers than other sea turtles such as loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and olive ridleys (Lepidochelys olivacea) due to the way green turtle hatchlings stroke their foreflippers.
Slower
Parasitic trematode eggs inflame what kind of tissue in green turtles?
Cardiovascular
Parasitic trematode eggs cause inflamed cardiovascular tissue that infect turtles and commonly result in death.
Digestive
Respiratory
Muscular
What texture are green turtle eggs?
Soft
Female green turtles lay soft-shelled eggs that measure 35-58 millimeters in diameter.
Hard
The green turtle’s jaws are serrated.
True
The green turtle’s jaws are short and serrated to properly rip and tear plants apart for consumption.
False
When is the green turtle breeding season?
June-September
Female green turtles are known to breed from June to September.
September-December
December-March
March-June
What is the green turtle breeding interval?
2-4 years
Female green turtles are known to breed in 2-4 year intervals.
12-14 Years
20-40 Years
2-4 Months
Which sex of green turtles will attack actively mating pairs?
Male
During the breeding season, actively mating green turtle pairs are often approached by several escort rival males that will latch on to the pair during copulation, for hours on end, in attempts to dislodge the mating male. These escort males may even attempt to remove the male connected to the female directly by biting at his soft fins with their harsh, sharp beaks.
Female
Both, Male & Female
None
Where are a female green turtle’s mating notches located?
Shoulders
The male will mount his mate and grab onto her mating notches around her shoulders to assist in copulation.
Hindquartrs
Stomach
Head
With what do green turtles dig nests?
Fore Legs
Green turtles dig holes in the sand with their front legs.
Hind Legs
Beak
Tail
When does a green turtle reach full maturity?
27-80 Years
The juvenile portion of a green turtle’s life can last 27-80 years before reaching full maturity.
27-80 Days
27-80 Months
27-80 Weeks
What preys on green turtles?
Canines
Eggs are preyed upon by multiple land mammals, reptiles, and crustaceans. Some of these mammals include: jaguars (Panthera onca), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), feral dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), golden jackals (Canis aureus) and humans (Homo sapiens). Young green sea turtles are also consumed by crabs (Brachyura) and saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porous) which can attack on land or in the water. Once the hatchlings reach the water, they face a new group of predators such as tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) and oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus).
Crabs
Eggs are preyed upon by multiple land mammals, reptiles, and crustaceans. Some of these mammals include: jaguars (Panthera onca), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), feral dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), golden jackals (Canis aureus) and humans (Homo sapiens). Young green sea turtles are also consumed by crabs (Brachyura) and saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porous) which can attack on land or in the water. Once the hatchlings reach the water, they face a new group of predators such as tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) and oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus).
Sharks
Eggs are preyed upon by multiple land mammals, reptiles, and crustaceans. Some of these mammals include: jaguars (Panthera onca), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), feral dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), golden jackals (Canis aureus) and humans (Homo sapiens). Young green sea turtles are also consumed by crabs (Brachyura) and saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porous) which can attack on land or in the water. Once the hatchlings reach the water, they face a new group of predators such as tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) and oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus).
Crocodiles
Eggs are preyed upon by multiple land mammals, reptiles, and crustaceans. Some of these mammals include: jaguars (Panthera onca), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), feral dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), golden jackals (Canis aureus) and humans (Homo sapiens). Young green sea turtles are also consumed by crabs (Brachyura) and saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porous) which can attack on land or in the water. Once the hatchlings reach the water, they face a new group of predators such as tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) and oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus).
How far does a green turtle travel in a day?
20-90 km. / 12-56 mi.
Green turtles spend a lot of their time swimming, traveling about 20-90 kilometers a day, eating, diving, reproducing, and migrating.
2-9 km. / 1-6 mi.
200-900 km. / 124-559 mi.
2,000-9,000 km. / 1,243-5,592 mi.
How do green turtles benefit the ecosystem?
Nutrient Turnover
Green turtles play a role in their ecosystem by facilitating nutrient turnover and sea grass regrowth. As the turtles graze on sea grass and algae, they provide nitrogen-rich fertilizer in the form of fecal matter.
Sea Grass Regrowth
Green turtles play a role in their ecosystem by facilitating nutrient turnover and sea grass regrowth. As the turtles graze on sea grass and algae, they provide nitrogen-rich fertilizer in the form of fecal matter.
Fertilizing Fecal Matter
Green turtles play a role in their ecosystem by facilitating nutrient turnover and sea grass regrowth. As the turtles graze on sea grass and algae, they provide nitrogen-rich fertilizer in the form of fecal matter.
Prey Control
How many green turtles can be found at the largest nesting ground?
18,000
During high season, 18,000 individuals can be found nesting at the largest nesting ground.
180,000
1,800
1,800,000
What is the green turtle’s movement pattern?
Full Migrant
Radio tagging nesting females shows that green sea 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.
Altitudinal Migrant
Not a Migrant
Nomadic
What is the green turtle’s hatchling diet?
Omnivorous
Green sea turtles begin their lives as omnivores.
Herbivorous
Carnivorous
Unknown
What types of marine habitats do green turtles inhabit?
Epipelagic
Green turtles inhabit epipelagic (0–200 meters) marine habitats.
Mesopelagic
Bathypelagic
Abyssopelagic
How much do green turtles weigh?
150-200 kg. / 330-441 lb.
Adult green turtles, male or female, tend to be about 100 to 120 centimeters long in carapace length and weigh around 150 to 200 kilograms when reaching adulthood.
1,500-2,000 kg. / 3,307-4,409 lb.
15-20 kg. / 33-44 lb.
5-12 kg. / 11-26 lb.
Green turtles are territorial.
False
Green turtles are not known to actively defend a territory.
True
© Randall Ruiz, Some Rights Reserved Unsplash
What is the green turtle’s dietary preference?
Opportunistic
Because green sea turtles are highly mobile throughout their lives, their food choices are often opportunistic.
Specialist
Where are the male green turtle’s reproductive organs located?
Tail
A male green turtle’s reproductive organs are located in his tail.
Carapace
Flippers
Plastron
What is the green turtle’s form of locomotion?
Other
The green turtle does not have a plantigrade, unguligrade, or digitigrade form of locomotion, but instead travels aquatically.
Plantigrade
Unguligrade
Digitigrade
There are adverse effects of the green turtle on humans.
False
There are no known adverse effects of the green turtle on humans.
True
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