The green sea turtle is a listed species in the State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). Find detailed information on the green sea turtle, its threats, and what Massachusetts is doing to conserve this animal in its official factsheet.
Fast facts
Common name: Green sea turtle
Scientific name: Chelonia mydas
Range in MA: Cape Cod Bay to Nantucket Sound
Conservation status: Threatened (MESA), Threatened (US ESA)
Fun fact: Green sea turtles have green fat cells due to their richly green diet of seagrass and algae.
Similar-looking species: Hawksbill sea turtles
Identification tip: Green sea turtles only have one one pair of prefrontal scutes and have small oval-shaped heads.
Description
Green sea turtles are one of the sea turtle species found regularly in Massachusetts. Green turtles are a remarkable component of Massachusetts’ marine fauna because they are typically distributed at more southerly latitudes. Adult green sea turtles can have a carapace length of over 2 feet! Green sea turtles are olive, gray, greenish, brown or reddish-brown in color, with a smooth shell. Juvenile and subadult green sea turtles sometimes have light, radiating streaks on each scute. Green sea turtles have four costal scutes and only one pair of prefrontal scales between the eyes. Hatchling green sea turtles have a black carapace, a whitish plastron, and white margins to the shell and limbs. The name “green turtle” reportedly refers to the color of its fat.