Facts about Olive Ridley Sea Turtles
The Olive Ridley is also known as the Pacific Ridley. The common name for Olive Ridley in Spanish is tortuga golfina o del golfo. It is one of the smallest species of sea turtle. It is named for the olive-green color of its heart-shaped shell. The villagers of Kolavipalam in Kozhikkode (Calicut) district have been burning midnight oil to ensure the survival of the visiting Olive Ridley turtles. The villagers guard turtle nests from stray dogs and jackals. Olive Ridleys are omnivorous, feeding on crabs, shrimp, rock lobsters, sea grasses, algae, snails, fish, sessile, pelagic tunocates and small invertebrates. They are sometimes seen feeding on jellyfish in shallow waters. Sea turtles are some of the largest turtles in the world and live in almost every ocean of the world. Olive Ridleys have a high-domed shell, with a carapace length of only 30 inches (70 cm). Female olive ridleys found in Surinam range in carapace length from 62-74 cm; in Pacific Honduras from 58-74 cm; and in Pacific Mexico from 56-78 cm. Their average lifespan in the wild is 50 years. The olive ridley was named for the olive color of its heart-shaped shell. These turtles forage offshore in surface waters and can dive to depths of at least 150 meters (500 feet). Their smooth shells and paddlelike flippers help them speed through the water as fast as 24 kph. These long-distance travelers have been known to swim up to 4,828 km. These turtles have an average weight upto 100 lbs (up to 45 kg.). Male olive ridleys can be distinguished from females by their tails, which stick out beyond their carapace. Their carapace is made up of five pairs of coastal scutes, with occurrences of up to 6 to 9 divisions per side. Olive Ridleys are omnivores. Their carapace is a dark olive green in color with a yellowish underside. Individual olive ridleys nest between 1-3 times per season and typically lay about 100 eggs each time. Olive ridleys nest both individually and in "arribadas", large nesting aggregations. This is one of the most fascinating characteristics of the olive ridley. It is usually found in the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic oceans. |
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