Louisiana 

 (parishes) 



Maryland 



Massa- 

 chusetts 



Mississippi 



New 

 Jersey 



Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, 

 Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Mary, 

 Terrebonne, Vermilion. 



Worcester. 



Barnstable, Dukes, Essex, Middlesex, 

 Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth. 



Hancock, Harrison, Jackson. 



Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth, 

 Ocean. 



New York Nassau, Suffolk. 



North 

 Carolina 



Oregon 



Rhode? 

 Island 



South 

 Carolina 



Texas 



Virginia 



Wash- 

 ington 



Brunswick, Carteret, Currituck, Dare, 

 Hyde, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender. 



Clatsop, Coos. Curry, Douglas, Lane, 

 Lincoln, Tillamook. 



Newport, Washington. 



Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, 

 Georgetown, Horry. 



Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, 

 Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, 

 Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, 

 Willacy. 



Accomack, Northampton. 



Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Pa- 

 cific. 



HABITAT 



The green turtle inhabits comparatively shal- 

 low waters inside reefs and in bays and inlets. 

 Favored habitat appears to be lagoons and shoals 

 with an abundance of marine grass and algae. This 

 habitat type occurs in much of the Gulf of Mexi- 

 co and Caribbean shore waters and around many 

 oceanic islands. Green turtles are long-distance 

 migrants and are occasionally seen in the open sea 

 en route from feeding grounds to nesting beaches 

 or vice versa (Carr 1952, 1967). 



FOOD AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR 



Adults are largely herbivorous, feeding on 

 marine algae and shallow water pastures of marine 

 grasses (including Thalassia, Zostera, Cymodocea, 

 and Halophila) (Carr 1952, Randall 1965). Small 

 mollusks, sponges, crustaceans, and jellyfish are 

 often consumed (Carr 1952,Hirth 1971). 



SHELTER REQUIREMENTS 



Pacific green turtles bask on reefs or uninhab- 

 ited islands. 



Some green turtles have been known to rest 

 with their shells wedged under rocks or reefs on 

 the bottom of the sea (Carr 1952). 



Witham (1976b) states that hatchlings find re- 

 fuge and food in sargassum [Sargassum sp.). Frick 

 (1975) observed hatchlings resting on sargassum 

 clumps. 



NESTING OR BEDDING 



Successful nesting requires a sloping beach 

 platform with open ocean exposure and minimal 

 disturbance. A variety of textures of sand can be 

 used, but it must be friable and well drained (A. 

 F. Carr personal communication). The presence 

 or absence of vegetation does not appear to be 

 critical; vegetation can be helpful in nesting be- 

 cause roots may prevent the sand from crumbling; 

 on the other hand, it can be detrimental if the 

 roots pierce the eggshells (Caldwell 1959). On 

 beaches without rooted plants, rain or the wetting 

 of the sand by the turtle aids in preventing the 

 sand from crumbling (Bustard 1973, Carr and 

 Main 1973). 



Illustrated descriptions of nesting appear in 

 Hendrickson (1958), Carr and Ogren (I960), and 

 Hirth(1977). 



RITUAL REQUIREMENTS 



Not known. 



OTHER CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL 

 REQUIREMENTS 



Not known. 



POPULATION NUMBERS AND TRENDS 



Estimates of the breeding female population 

 for the Western Hemisphere nesting areas are: 



Sarawak Turtle Islands 10,000 



Surinam 2,500 



Tortuguero 6,000 



Aldabra fewer than 1,000 



Australia 75,000, but includes 



flatbacks {Chelonis depressa) and 

 loggerheads {Caretta caretta) 



Florida 50 



(Hirth 1971, Lund 1974). 

 Ehrenfeld (1974) estimates the world popu- 

 lation of green turtles at between 100,000 and 

 400,000. 



