Species Native Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Species Native - Research Paper Example An adult green sea turtle weighs over 500 pounds. Like all other turtle species, green sea turtles possess a hard structure called shell, whose function is to provide protection to the turtle from predators. The part of the shell that is on the dorsal (back) side is known as the carapace (Green Sea Turtles, n.d.). This portion is heart shaped, and is as long as 5 feet. It is covered with large scales which are called scutes. The ventral part of the shell that covers the belly is known as the plastron. The dorsal and ventral parts are connected to each other at the sides through hard-shelled plates which are known as lateral bridges. The connection between the carapace and plastron breaks at the openings for the head, tail and limbs. The difference between green sea turtles, land turtles and tortoises is that green sea turtles are not able to retract their small heads into the shell for extra protection. The shells of green sea turtles are very light weight and are more developed as c ompared to shells of land turtles. The limbs seem like flippers that help them swim long distances in less time, making them refined swimmers. Adult turtles are herbivorous in nature. This characteristic makes them harmless to other animals living under water with them like fish. They hold bacteria in their guts, and depend on them for digestion of plant food. This is the case with adult turtles only. Young turtles are carnivorous. They feed on jellyfish and other little invertebrates. The dorsal surface of the shell or the carapace is dark brown in color but it gets covered with patches of algae on which fish feeds. The exact lifespan of green sea turtles is still unknown. They grow very slowly. The growth is so slow that they take 10 to 50 years to be able to become sexually mature to reproduce (Bredeson, 2007). The average age of maturity is 25 years. Due to this long lifespan and period of maturity, green sea turtles take too many years to recover from a significant population