The olive ridley sea turtle (scientific name-Lepidochelys olivacea) is one of the most common turtles in the world, with a population of roughly 800,000 to 1 million remaining turtles. Despite this, they are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
These turtles get their name from the olive-green coloration of their heart-shaped carapace. They are also one of the smallest sea turtle species, with an average length of around 70 cm and a weight of 50 kilograms. They are native to the warm and tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Continue reading to learn more about this species of turtles.
Appearance
They have a medium-sized body, reaching about 70 cm long and weighing about 40-50 kilograms. Their carapace is heart-shaped, smooth, and olive green, while their underbelly, the plastron, is pale yellow.
Like other sea turtles, the shell acts as a protective cover, covering its internal organs. It also supports its body and helps the turtle regulate its body temperature by absorbing and radiating heat.
The head is small and triangular, with a sharp, beak-like mouth. Its paddle-like flippers enable it to navigate the water with great agility, making it a graceful swimmer.
Their hatchlings are usually dark grey with a pale yellow scar, and they appear all black when wet.
Like other sea turtles, they possess specialized salt glands near their eyes. These glands help excrete excess salt consumed from seawater, maintaining the turtle’s internal salt balance.
Did you know…
Research suggests that Ridley sea turtles, like other sea turtles, possess an innate magnetic sense. This helps them navigate vast distances in the ocean, returning to their natal beaches for nesting even after years of migration.
Habitat
Olive ridley sea turtles live in the Pacific Ocean (Eastern Pacific) on the coasts of California, Mexico, and Central America. They have also been spotted in Japan, Indonesia, and Australian waters.
In the Western Atlantic Ocean, olive ridley sea turtles inhabit areas along the coasts of Brazil, Suriname, French Guiana, and South East Africa. Olive ridley sea turtles are also found on the shores of India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.
They are well known for their mass nesting events called arribadas, where thousands of turtles simultaneously come ashore to lay eggs. They mostly prefer to nest on coarse sandy beaches with relatively stable temperatures, such as the pacific coast of Mexico, India, and Costa Rica.
Since it is a highly adaptable species, it can survive in different marine ecosystems such as shallow lagoons, coral reefs, and open ocean waters. Olive ridleys can dive to depths of 500 feet to forage on benthic invertebrates.
Both the front and rear flippers have 1 or 2 visible claws. There is sometimes an extra claw on the front flippers.
However, this sea turtle species is predominantly pelagic, spending most of its time in the open ocean waters. The species moves to coastal waters during breeding, and females come to the sandy beaches to lay their eggs.
Diet
As omnivores, olive ridley sea turtles have a diverse diet and powerful jaws. However, they are mainly predatory and are known to feed on a wide assortment of prey, such as crustaceans, shellfish, mollusks, tunicates, lobster, jellyfish, shrimp, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and crabs.
In addition to their invertebrate diet, they also feed on plants. They graze on algae, seagrasses, and other aquatic plants. They also feed on fruits and other plant material that they find in their environment. This, however, is not a major part of their diet.
Reproduction
Olive ridley sea turtles are known for their unique mass nesting events. Females typically reach sexual maturity between the ages of 10 and 15 years. Males, on the other hand, reach maturity a bit earlier, generally around 8 to 12 years old. Once mature, mating takes place in the open ocean, and like all sea turtles, females travel to beaches where they were born to spawn.
During the nesting period, thousands of female olive ridley turtles emerge from the water and lay their eggs together. Solitary nesters lay a clutch at intervals of 14 days whereas the interval for those in arribadas is 28 days. Each nesting season, they lay about two to three clutches of 50 to 200 eggs and return to the sea.
The eggs then incubate for about 60 days before hatching. If the temperature of the sand during the incubation period is warm, the more female turtles hatch. Likewise, when the nest is colder, more males hatch.
After hatching, the juvenile turtles make their way into the ocean, where they spend the next years of their lives.
Threats
Olive ridley sea turtles are one of the most endangered species of sea turtles. Over the years, their populations have declined sharply due to several threats. Firstly, many olive ridleys never make it to adulthood. This is because their hatchlings and juveniles are preyed upon by a variety of predators, such as crabs, birds, and other turtles.
Adults, on the other hand, face threats from fisheries, where they often get caught or entangled in fishing nets resulting in injuries or death.
Habitat destruction is also a major threat to them, as their natural habitats and nesting grounds are destroyed or polluted. For this reason, the turtles are forced to move to other areas, thus threatening their survival.
On top of that, pollution from plastic debris and oil spills harms the turtles and damages their foraging grounds and nesting beaches.
Despite the many threats faced by olive ridley sea turtles, the good news is that conservation measures are being taken to protect them.
Organizations such as the Sea Turtle Conservancy are working to protect the turtles’ nesting sites by monitoring and protecting beaches. At the same time, conservationists are working to reduce bycatch in fishing nets and educating fishermen about sustainable fishing practices.
Ultimately, their future depends on the actions of humans. Therefore, by reducing our pollution and protecting their habitats, we can ensure these beautiful creatures will be around for future generations.
5 more Quick Facts about Olive Ridley Sea Turtles
- Their common name is Pacific ridley turtle.
- Olive ridley sea turtles are one of the smallest and most abundant sea turtle species.
- Ridley sea turtles synchronize their nesting in massive ‘arribadas,’ a strategy that helps overwhelm predators and boost hatchling survival.
- The sex of Ridley sea turtle hatchlings depends on the sand temperature during incubation – warmer nests produce more females!
- Ridley sea turtles navigate using a magnetic sense, guiding them across oceans and back to their nesting beaches.
FAQs
Is an olive ridley sea turtle edible?
Over the years, olive ridley has been used as a source of meat in some regions. Although their meat is not a delicacy, their eggs are highly sought after worldwide. However, since it’s listed as vulnerable, consuming and collecting their eggs is illegal.
What is the role of the Olive ridley sea turtles in the ecosystem?
Olive ridleys play an essential role in the marine ecosystem. Since they are omnivores, they help control seaweed growth and keep their prey species’ populations in check. They are also a food source for other marine species, such as tiger sharks and seagulls. In addition, they are highly migratory animals, thus helping circulate nutrients throughout the ocean as they migrate between their feeding and nesting grounds.
What is being done to protect the olive ridley sea turtles?
Currently, there are several preservation efforts to protect the olive ridley sea turtles. These efforts include safeguarding their nesting grounds, decreasing bycatch, and enforcing laws and regulations prohibiting their eggs’ collection.
Can olive ridley sea turtles be kept as pets?
No, it is not recommended to keep olive ridley turtles as pets. These turtles are protected species in many countries due to their conservation status. Keeping them as pets is illegal and goes against conservation efforts to preserve their populations.
