lensa+tesgera+-+green+turtle

green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)

location and natural habitat

The green turtle mostly stay near the coastline and around islands. they live in bays and protcted shores,espically they stay in ares with seagrass beds.They are Found in all temperate and tropical waters throughout the world.they are Rarely observed in the open ocean. the onlt time they live the ocen is to nest.Green Sea Turtles are reptiles whose ancestors evolved on land and returned to the sea to live. they first appeared during the Triassic period, 245 to 208 million years ago.but Fossils for the earliest known sea turtles appear in the Late Jurassic period, 208 to 144 million years ago. Turtles are one of the few species that watched the dinosaurs evolve and become extinct.

Niche Green Sea Turtles are reptiles whose ancsectors evolved on land and returned to the sea to live. They are cold blooded and they breath air. the green sea turtle, is the largest hard shelled sea turtle in the world it ranges in length from abbout 2 to 6 feet males averaging a little larger than females they can weight up to 600 pounds.they live in warm shallow waters , where they spend all of their lives. There is some confusion concerning the diet of the Green Sea Turtle because adults feeding is rarely observed in the wild. It is believed that they feed on sea grasses and algae which is why its belived their colore is green. They also likely feed on crabs, crustaceans, and other submerged aquatic vegetation. The nesting season varies with the locality,In the Southeastern U.S., it is roughly June through September.A female may lay as a many as nine clutches within a nesting season at about 13-day intervals.Clutch size varies from 75 to 200 eggs, with an average clutch size of 136 eggs.Age at sexual maturity is believed to be 20 to 50 years.Incubation ranges from about 45 to 75 days, depending on incubation temperatures. Hatchlings generally emerge at night. Because of their efficient mobility in the water and their size, adult green sea turtles have only two known predators sharks and people. Tiger sharks are believed to feed regularly on green sea turtles also humans are the main non-natural predator of sea turtles, killing them for their eggs, meat, oil, and shell. Although the carapaces of green sea turtles are mostly dark brown in color, they can be covered with patches of algae on which fishes in turn feed. This type of feeding arrangement is an example of symbiosis,the fish get a free meal, and the sea turtle gets a clean shell. green sea turtles mostly travel alone.

population expansion

green turtles are found in all tempretures and tropical water throughout the world.manatees are known to live mostly in coastal waters and slow-moving rivers with a salinity ranging from saltwater to freshwater.the green sea turtle lives in the same areas as mantees and eats the same thing as mantees because both animals are vegiterian. mantees don't have much of comption when it comes to food which benifts the green turtle.so the number of sea turtles will increse.

species in competition

The largest population of manatees is found in Florida, where there are over 3,000 individuals.green turtle population estimate 88,520 nesting females.the population of mantee's is dramatically decresing.they are endangered species.but the population of green turtles is not decresing nor incresing. The sea turtle population is declining slowly in some regionsdue to accidents.It would not take a great deal of time for the sea turtle to take over the niche left behind because they are already accustomed to living in such environments, it would only be a matter of bringing them there.

work cited

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sea turtles and their kinds book from the library