Published: 5th Apr, 2024
Context
As per a recent finding, it was revealed that their Hatchlings use a temporary "egg tooth" or carbuncle to break open the shell.
About
About the Species
- They are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
- It gets its name from the olive green colouration of its carapace (shell).
- Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea
- They are best known for their unique mass nesting, called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
- Distribution:
- They are mainly found in the warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.
- Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is known as the world’s largest rookery (a colony of breeding animals) of sea turtles.
- Features:
- An adult typically measures between 62 and 70 cm in length and weighs about 35-45 kg.
- They have one to two visible claws on each of their paddle-like flippers.
- They are omnivorous, meaning they feed on both plants and animals.
- They are solitary, preferring the open ocean.
- These turtles spend their entire lives in the ocean, and migrate thousands of kilometers between feeding and mating grounds in a year.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
- CITES: Appendix I
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