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Green sea turtles are reptiles whose ancestors evolved on land and returned to the sea to live about 150 million years ago. They are one of the few species so old that they watched the dinosaurs evolve and become extinct.

They are cold blooded. They breath air, and their skin has scales. In addition to these reptilian traits, all species of turtles have evolved a bony outer shell that protects them from predators because turtles are not speedsters. The shell covers both dorsal (back) and ventral (belly) surfaces and is considered the most highly developed protective armor of any vertebrate species ever.

Once there were tens of millions of green sea turtles around the world. Now there are only 200,000 mature females in Hawaiian waters. The green sea turtles are making a comeback.

The female may return six or more times to lay as many as a thousand eggs before leaving the breeding grounds. The males rarely emerge from the sea; they are aggressive throughout the breeding season, often fighting rivals for a female. The competition among males for females may be intensified by the fact that so many females fall prey to predators when they leave the water to nest on the beach. Green turtles are nimble in the water, but on land their heavy shells restrict their movement. After she lays her eggs, she will bury them under the sand so predators cannot get them. When the babies hatch, they must face the world on their own. Turtles are very independent creatures. Their defense is a hard shell that is built into their body.

Sea turtles eat both animals and plants. The organisms eaten by a turtle vary by species. Green sea turtles feed almost entirly plants.

Check out the Sea Turtle Conservation Program for more information about Sea Turtles!