A Green Turtle's Diet

Green sea turtles are aquatic creatures with long lifespans that can range up to 50 years. Green turtles can also be dark brown or have yellow spots. The diet of the green sea turtle reflects a number of anatomical, geographical and developmental factors.

  1. Herbivores

    • Green turtles are herbivores, which means they only consume plants. Sea grass is the food of choice for most green sea turtles, but they will also eat mangrove leaves, which hang over the sea water. The turtles have very strong jaws, which allows them to pull and hold the plants securely for consumption.

    Diet and Growth

    • When green turtles are born, they are not very good swimmers, so they stay near the surface of the water and eat what is there--usually small shrimp that hide in the sargassum weed. Younger turtles will also eat jellyfish and some shellfish, along with algae, since they have not yet learned how to swim deep into the water to consume other plants.

    Diet and Habitat

    • Green sea turtles enjoy warm weather, as well as shallow water, since there is plenty of sea grass in these areas. The turtles are comfortable living most everywhere there is sea water, due to the characteristics of the water and the availability of acceptable food; these turtles are usually not found close to the poles, since these sections of the water are much colder.

    Eating Habits

    • Adult green turtles consume their food underwater, and will stay under the surface of the water for up to 10 minutes when eating. Adult turtles can consume a large number of sea plants within that time, and may only need to eat every few days. The turtles also rest underwater, and are able to stay under the water for about two hours without having to come up for air.

    Extinction

    • Since adult green turtles do not eat other animals, they are near the bottom of the food chain and are often eaten by larger animals like tiger sharks. When the sea turtles hatch, many of them are eaten by seagulls and other larger animals before they reach the water. Humans use the shells of green sea turtles for jewelry, making these turtles the most endangered of the Hawaiian sea creatures.