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