The Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) is one of the many species of turtles that inhabits the vast oceans. The green turtle is named for the greenish color of it's fat found under its shell. It is a large, heavy reptile, usually about 0.7-1.0 m in shell length and about 90-140 kg in weight. The maximum length and weight are about 1.2 m and 375 kg respectively. (1) The green turtles upper shell is smooth and wide, the animal is brown, but when the light from the sun hits it, the green color from the fat is visible. The green turtle is found in warm, coastal waters around the world. (2) Sea turtles, in adaptation to an aquatic life, have limbs modified into flippers for efficient swimming. It feeds mainly on marine grasses. Most female sea turtles leave the water only when it is breeding season because the female needs to dig a nest on the land and deposit her eggs. But an unusual characteristic of the green turtle is that it will often emerge onto land to enjoy the sun. (2)
             The green turtle is classified as follows:
             In this paper the classification and origin of the green turtle will be discussed further. Their diet, mating habits, offspring, senses, and their economic value will also be discussed.
             There are four characteristics that have played a role in discussion of the relationship and classification of turtles. The characteristics include the dermal armor, the acromion process on the scapula, the astragalus-calcaneum complex, and the hooked fifth metatarsal. (1) The dermal armor (shell) is the interlocking osteoderms that are found lying above the vertebral column and the ribs. The acromion process in the turtle is an extension medioventrally on the scapula. (1) This unique characteristic allows for different muscle attachments in the turtle and accounts for the awkward positioning of the frontal limbs for walking or swimming. The astragalus-calcaneum complex has to do with the fusion of these two junctions to ...