Credit: O. James 



GREEN SEA TURTLE 

 Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 



KINGDOM Animalia 



CLASS Reptilia 



ORDER Testudinata 



FAMILY Cheloniidae 



OTHER COMMON 



NAMES Edible turde, tortuga verde. 



DATE 



Entered into SWIS to be determined. 



Updates. . .22 September 1976, 8 February 1977. 



LEGAL STATUS 



Federal Endangered : waters of Florida and Pa- 

 cific Coast of Mexico (43 FR 32800- 

 32811, 28 July 1978). 

 Threatened: elswhere throughout its 

 range (43 FR 32800-32811, 28 July 

 1978). 



States: Endangered: Florida, Maryland, Mis- 

 sissippi, New Jersey, Texas. 

 Protected: Alabama, Georgia, North 

 Carolina, South Carolina. 



REASONS FOR CURRENT STATUS 



The green turtle's vulnerability while nesting 

 has led to its overexploitation for food by local 

 populations seeking a readily available source of 

 protein food. Recent technological advances such 

 as freezing and canning have increased its use for 

 food, and an increase in demand for turtle pro- 

 ducts (leather, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals) 

 has placed considerable stress on the species. 

 Nesting populations in Bermuda, Florida, the 

 Greater Antilles, and Jamaica have been extir- 

 pated or nearly so (U.S. Department of Com- 

 merce 1976). 



In many areas, excessive predation on eggs 

 and hatchlings has substantially reduced recruit- 

 ment, causing populations to decrease. 



