Sea Turtle
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Sea Turtle
Reptile
A large, ocean-going reptile whose adults graze on seagrass and algae, and which returns to the very beach where it hatched to lay its own eggs.
Name Story
Chelonia mydas
means “the turtle, with a hidden green surprise”
What does its name mean?
- Chelonia — turtleGreek chelōnē 'tortoise/turtle'
- mydas — meaning uncertain, so we won't guess at itGreek (obscure)
- green — not the shell, but the colour hidden insideEnglish
You might expect a 'green' turtle to have a green shell, but its shell is brown and olive. The 'green' is hidden inside — its body fat is greenish, coloured by all the seagrass and algae it eats.
🔎 Featured in a nature example
See this creature's story: The Turtle's Moonlit Dash