GREEN
TURTLES - ENVIRONMENT
News:
Green turtles nesting
range expands under warming climate
What's
in the news?
●
Rising global temperatures could lead to
an increase in the nesting range of green turtles in the Mediterranean Sea, as
per a study in Scientific Reports.
●
Under the worst-case climate scenario, the
nesting range could increase by over 60% points, spreading west from the
current area to include much of the North African, Italian, and Greek
coastlines.
Green
Sea Turtle:
●
The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas),
also known as the green turtle, black
(sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of
the family Cheloniidae.
●
It is the only species in the genus Chelonia.
Habitat:
●
Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around
the world, with two distinct populations
in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but it is also found in the Indian Ocean.
Features:
●
The common name refers to the usually
green fat found beneath its carapace, not to the colour of its carapace, which
is olive to black.
●
Green sea turtles migrate long distances
between feeding grounds and hatching beaches.
Conservation:
●
It is listed as endangered by the IUCN and CITES and is protected from exploitation
in most countries.
●
It is illegal to collect, harm, or kill
them. In addition, many countries have laws and ordinances to protect nesting
areas.