Trivia question for Sep-10-2011

Olivia and Carter got to see these guys up-close last year while they were down in Louisiana delivering the Animal Rescue Supplies they collected after the Gulf oil spill.  They both fell in love with these gentle turtles and they enjoyed working with all the folks at the Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Center in New Orleans.  So here is Olivia’s trivia.

These are tough-shelled marine reptiles that graze on submarine meadows of sea grass.  They undertake awesome journeys across oceans to mate off shores of traditional nesting islands.

As one of the first sea turtle species studied, much of what is known of sea turtle ecology comes from studies of these guys. The ecology of these turtles changes drastically with each stage of its life history. Newly emerged hatchlings are carnivorous, pelagic organisms, part of the open ocean mini-nekton. In contrast, immature juveniles and adults are commonly found in seagrass meadows closer inshore as herbivorous grazers.

So here are Olivia’s questions: Tell us what type of sea turtle this is and how it got it’s name?  Also, on the beaches of South America, breeding turtles sometimes fall victim to a certain predator which flips them over and rips them apart.  Tell us what predator does this?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations goes out to Jean Netherton for being the first to identify the type of turtle we featured and also to Tami Kannenberg for answering how these guys got their name and which predator stalks these turtles and is able to flip them over on their backs.

The sea turtle we featured is the Green Sea Turtle. The Green sea turtle or green turtle is a large sea turtle. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Their common name derives from the usually green fat found beneath their carapace (upper shell).

On South American beaches, breeding turtles sometimes fall victim to Jaguars, which flip them over so they are able to rip them open. Here is more on these endangered sea turtles: Green Sea Turtle

Thanks for playing along 😉