AnimalsThe green sea turtle is named for the greenish fat under its shell. Adults graze on seagrass and algae. Females return to the beach region where they hatched to lay their eggs in the sand.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Chelonia mydas
- Group
- Reptiles
- Diet
- Herbivore (eats plants)
- Lives in
- Warm seas worldwide
- Habitat
- Coasts and seagrass beds
- A young one is called
- hatchling
- A group is called
- bale
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Reptilia
- Order Testudines
- Family Cheloniidae
- Genus Chelonia
- Species Chelonia mydas
Other members of the family Cheloniidae on this site: olive ridley sea turtle.
More distant relatives in the order Testudines: Indian star tortoise.
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The green sea turtle is listed as Least Concern. The species is widespread or numerous enough that it is not considered at risk of extinction at present.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.