Species taxonomy-
The Olive Ridley Sea Turtle belongs to the kingdom: Animalia, the Phylum: Chordata, the Class: Reptilia, the Order: Testudines, Family: Cheloniidae, Genus: Lepidochelys, and its species is olivacea. Thus the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle’s scientific name is Lepidochelys olivacea. (NOAA, 2014) In Spanish the Olive Ridley is called Golfina. (Sea turtle Inc., 2016) There is only one other animal in the genus Lepidochelys and it is the Kemp’s Rideys Sea Turtle: Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Reptilia, Order: Testudines, Family: Cheloniidae, Genus: Lepidochelys, and its species is kempii. Thus the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle’s scientific name is Lepidochelys kempii. (NOAA, 2014) These two turtles are similar in color and …show more content…
The full life span of this turtle is unknown. (NOAA, 2014) The Olive Ridley was named after its olive green, heart shaped shell. (Olive Ridley Project) Hatchlings appear as black with green hues on their sides and then later develop their nice olive tone. Olive Ridleys have 5-9 costal scutes (this separates them from the Kemp’s Ridley) and they have 1-2 claws on their flippers. (NOAA, 2014) Olive Ridleys have a thin carapace without ridges and under the carapace the turtles have yellow highlights (adults). The males and females can be distinguished by the size of their tail, if you can’t see the tail it is a female and if the tail sticks out quite a bit more than the shell it is a male. Females can have a tail that the tip can be seen sticking out of the shell but a male’s tail should be easily seen. (Aquarium of the Pacific, 2016) Olive Ridleys color, shape and size can all very by the area they are in, their shells commonly look darker when they are in colder water. (Sea Turtle Exploration, 2016) Olive Ridleys have a smaller head then other sea turtles and there carapace is very bony but doesn’t have any ridges, however some have been seen with a flip of the carapace at edges in warmer areas. Its body is deeper than the Kemp’s and they sometimes have extra claws on their flippers. Also …show more content…
The Olive Ridleys lay an average clutch size around 110 eggs, these eggs have a 52-58 day incubation period and they receive no parental care once they are laid. (Conserve Turtles, 2015) Migrations are a typical and important behavior in sea turtles, the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle makes an interesting migration that differs from other sea turtles in one way: arribada nesting. Arribada nesting is when all the females gather to lay their eggs all at once on the same beach. All the females migrate at the same time to the same place to lay their nests, this process can involve as many as 300,000 female Olive Ridley Sea Turtles. (Arkive, 2002) On an average day a Olive Ridley will feed in the morning and then sun bathe at the surface for the rest of the morning and majority of the afternoon. This is to regulate temperature until the water warms up from the sun. In warmer waters this process isn’t always necessary. Sun bathing can be dangerous because of predators, smart turtles will keep watch while bathing and dive deep when a predator is around. If a female Olive Ridley is on land when a predator is near then she will flap her front flippers to defend herself. (Animal Diversity,
The Olive Ridley Sea Turtle belongs to the kingdom: Animalia, the Phylum: Chordata, the Class: Reptilia, the Order: Testudines, Family: Cheloniidae, Genus: Lepidochelys, and its species is olivacea. Thus the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle’s scientific name is Lepidochelys olivacea. (NOAA, 2014) In Spanish the Olive Ridley is called Golfina. (Sea turtle Inc., 2016) There is only one other animal in the genus Lepidochelys and it is the Kemp’s Rideys Sea Turtle: Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Reptilia, Order: Testudines, Family: Cheloniidae, Genus: Lepidochelys, and its species is kempii. Thus the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle’s scientific name is Lepidochelys kempii. (NOAA, 2014) These two turtles are similar in color and …show more content…
The full life span of this turtle is unknown. (NOAA, 2014) The Olive Ridley was named after its olive green, heart shaped shell. (Olive Ridley Project) Hatchlings appear as black with green hues on their sides and then later develop their nice olive tone. Olive Ridleys have 5-9 costal scutes (this separates them from the Kemp’s Ridley) and they have 1-2 claws on their flippers. (NOAA, 2014) Olive Ridleys have a thin carapace without ridges and under the carapace the turtles have yellow highlights (adults). The males and females can be distinguished by the size of their tail, if you can’t see the tail it is a female and if the tail sticks out quite a bit more than the shell it is a male. Females can have a tail that the tip can be seen sticking out of the shell but a male’s tail should be easily seen. (Aquarium of the Pacific, 2016) Olive Ridleys color, shape and size can all very by the area they are in, their shells commonly look darker when they are in colder water. (Sea Turtle Exploration, 2016) Olive Ridleys have a smaller head then other sea turtles and there carapace is very bony but doesn’t have any ridges, however some have been seen with a flip of the carapace at edges in warmer areas. Its body is deeper than the Kemp’s and they sometimes have extra claws on their flippers. Also …show more content…
The Olive Ridleys lay an average clutch size around 110 eggs, these eggs have a 52-58 day incubation period and they receive no parental care once they are laid. (Conserve Turtles, 2015) Migrations are a typical and important behavior in sea turtles, the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle makes an interesting migration that differs from other sea turtles in one way: arribada nesting. Arribada nesting is when all the females gather to lay their eggs all at once on the same beach. All the females migrate at the same time to the same place to lay their nests, this process can involve as many as 300,000 female Olive Ridley Sea Turtles. (Arkive, 2002) On an average day a Olive Ridley will feed in the morning and then sun bathe at the surface for the rest of the morning and majority of the afternoon. This is to regulate temperature until the water warms up from the sun. In warmer waters this process isn’t always necessary. Sun bathing can be dangerous because of predators, smart turtles will keep watch while bathing and dive deep when a predator is around. If a female Olive Ridley is on land when a predator is near then she will flap her front flippers to defend herself. (Animal Diversity,