{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "green-sea-turtle",
  "name": "Green Sea Turtle",
  "scientificName": "Chelonia mydas",
  "category": "Reptile",
  "summary": "The green sea turtle is a large marine reptile found in warm oceans worldwide, named for the greenish color of its body fat rather than its shell. Adults are unusual among sea turtles in being mostly herbivorous, grazing on seagrass and algae. They migrate long distances between feeding grounds and the beaches where they hatched, and can live 70 to 80 years or more.",
  "conservationStatus": "Endangered",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Reptilia",
    "order": "Testudines",
    "family": "Cheloniidae",
    "genus": "Chelonia"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 160,
    "lengthM": 1.5,
    "topSpeedKmh": 35,
    "lifespanYears": 80
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Chelonia mydas"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore as adults (seagrass, algae)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Tropical and subtropical coastal seas"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "70–80+ years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "Up to 160 kg (350 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "~35 km/h (22 mph) in short bursts"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Endangered (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide, nesting on beaches in more than 80 countries.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "Seminoff, J. A. (2004). Chelonia mydas. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "The Reptile Database (reptile-database.org).",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Chelonia mydas. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Chelonia_mydas/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/green-sea-turtle/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/green-sea-turtle/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}