Geographic range: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean: Green turtles live in warm tropical waters from New England to South Africa and in the Pacific from Western Africa to the Americas.
Note:
There are two sub-species of Chelonia mydas which include Chelonia mydas mydas and Chelonia mydas agassizii. The common name for Chelonia mydas mydas is the Atlantic green turtle, which lives in the Atlantic ocean and visits the shores of Europe and North America. Chelonia mydas agassizii, or Eastern Pacific green turtle and sometimes black sea turtle because of its dark colored carapace, is common from center of peninsula Baja California and Gulf of California south to Peru. Areas of bigger concentration can be found in Gulf of California, Michoacan - Isthmus de Tehuamtepec area in Mexico, Golfo de Fonseca in between El Salvador and Nicaragua, in southeast Colombia, in Ecuador (including Galapagos) and peninsula Paracas in Peru.
During very warm seasons the species has been spotted as far north as British Columbia (Canada) and as far south as Coquimbo (Chile).
Geographic Range

Physical characteristics: One of the largest turtles reaching size of 71 to 153 centimeters and 200 kg of wieght. Males are bigger than females, with a longer tail, which extends well beyond the shell. Limbs are paddle -like - used for swimming. The carapace can be olive to brown, or sometimes black, depending on the geographic location of the species. Just like other marine turtles, Ch. mydas cannot pull its head inside the shell.

Food Habits: Mostly herbivorous species. Main food items include sea algae and sea grass of shallow waters. In juveniles, the herbivorous diet combines with jellyfish, crabs, sponges, snails, and worms.

Reproduction: Sexual maturity is reached between 10 and 24 years of age. The timing of the breeding season depends on the latitude. Mating takes place underwater or on the water surface not far from the shore and involves internal fertilization. Females nest in 2 -3 year cycles, with the letter more frequent. Nesting occurs several times each season at 10 -15 day intervals. When ready, female leaves the water, crawls onto the sand and looks for an appropriate spot where she starts removing the sand to form the nest. In between 100 and 200 eggs are laid. Eggs are nearly spherical 35 -38 mm in diameter. When egg laying is concluded, eggs are covered with sand to be protected from the sun, heat, and predators.Young turtles hatch without mother's assistance 40 to 72 days after that typically after dark.

Behavior: Quite little is known about the life of the species outside the nesting grounds. Baby turtles are born self dependent since the moment they hatch. Mother, after laying the eggs, presents no further involvment in the offspring developement. Young green turtles are the most vulnerable. The majority falls pray to crabs, snakes, gulls, fish and many other predators during the first couple of years at sea. Female green turtles retur to lay eggs to the same beaches, where they hatched.

Habitat: Tropical waters worldwide. The only time adult females leave the water is when they lay the eggs. Adult males never leave the ocean and their only moments spent on land are the first stages of their development.

Biomes: tropical coastal