Name the five kinds of sea turtle found in Indian Ocean.
Answers
Sea Turtles Of The Indian Ocean
ORP JULY 12, 2019
The Indian Ocean is home to six of the world’s seven species of sea turtles.
Green
(Chelonia mydas)
Hawksbill
(Eretmochelys imbricata)
Olive ridley
(Lepidochelys olivacea)
Loggerhead
(Caretta caretta)
Leatherback
(Dermochelys coriacea)
Flatback
(Natator depressus) ©Lina Reinold.
Six of the world’s seven species of sea turtles live in the Indian Ocean with abundance of each species differing between countries and oceanic areas. While green turtles and hawksbills are abundant in shallow coastal areas for example in the Maldives and Kenya, loggerheads have their biggest nesting population worldwide in Oman. Olive ridley turtles can be found nesting en masse on the coast of India, while leatherbacks are more commonly found in South Africa, Mozambique and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The enigmatic flatback turtle, however, lives only in Australian waters.
The seventh species of sea turtles, the Kemp’s ridley, is almost exclusively found along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern USA up to Canada. Kemp’s ridleys are only very rarely spotted on the other side of the Atlantic on the coast of France or the United Kingdom.
Although each modern sea turtle species is different, having uniquely evolved to different environments and available food, they share many characteristics and all arose from a common ancestor about 110 million years ago.
Sea Turtles – Ancient Reptiles
Green sea turtle resting on a colourful reef in the Maldives.
Sea turtles have existed on Earth since the days of the dinosaurs. There are currently seven species (or types) of sea turtles, also called marine turtles, gracing our oceans, but there were once many more. Turtles belong to the reptile group of animals that also includes snakes, lizards, and crocodiles, all of which share the following characteristics:
Scaly skin: this helps reptiles conserve moisture as most of them live in dry, sunny and/or salty environments;
Cold-blooded: their body temperature depends on the temperature of their surroundings;
Air breathers: all reptiles are born with lungs and use them to get oxygen from the air;
Oviparous: they lay eggs (although some snakes, chameleons and lizards give birth to live young).
Sea Turtles Of The Indian Ocean
ORP JULY 12, 2019
The Indian Ocean is home to six of the world’s seven species of sea turtles.
Green
(Chelonia mydas)
Hawksbill
(Eretmochelys imbricata)
Olive ridley
(Lepidochelys olivacea)
Loggerhead
(Caretta caretta)
Leatherback
(Dermochelys coriacea)
Flatback
(Natator depressus) ©Lina Reinold.
Six of the world’s seven species of sea turtles live in the Indian Ocean with abundance of each species differing between countries and oceanic areas. While green turtles and hawksbills are abundant in shallow coastal areas for example in the Maldives and Kenya, loggerheads have their biggest nesting population worldwide in Oman. Olive ridley turtles can be found nesting en masse on the coast of India, while leatherbacks are more commonly found in South Africa, Mozambique and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The enigmatic flatback turtle, however, lives only in Australian waters.
The seventh species of sea turtles, the Kemp’s ridley, is almost exclusively found along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern USA up to Canada. Kemp’s ridleys are only very rarely spotted on the other side of the Atlantic on the coast of France or the United Kingdom.
Although each modern sea turtle species is different, having uniquely evolved to different environments and available food, they share many characteristics and all arose from a common ancestor about 110 million years ago.
Sea Turtles – Ancient Reptiles
Green sea turtle resting on a colourful reef in the Maldives.
Sea turtles have existed on Earth since the days of the dinosaurs. There are currently seven species (or types) of sea turtles, also called marine turtles, gracing our oceans, but there were once many more. Turtles belong to the reptile group of animals that also includes snakes, lizards, and crocodiles, all of which share the following characteristics:
Scaly skin: this helps reptiles conserve moisture as most of them live in dry, sunny and/or salty environments;
Cold-blooded: their body temperature depends on the temperature of their surroundings;
Air breathers: all reptiles are born with lungs and use them to get oxygen from the air;
Oviparous: they lay eggs (although some snakes, chameleons and lizards give birth to live young).