Sea olive turtles are also called ridley. The species is considered vulnerable due to a number of threats. It is most often possible to meet representatives of the Ridley genus near the coastal part of the subtropical and tropical sea or ocean.
Description
An olive turtle can grow up to 70 cm in length. Her body weight does not exceed 45 kg. The shape of the shell is heart-shaped, color - gray-olive. Turtles are born black, brighten over time. They have a triangular shape of the head with shallow concavities. The front of the carapace is curved up. Males differ from females with a more massive jaw, a pressed plastron and a thick tail.
Habitat
The places that are comfortable for olive rides are the shores of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, South Australia, New Zealand, Micronesia, Japan and the northern regions of Saudi Arabia. Less common in the Caribbean and in Puerto Rico. In water, the animal can dive to a depth of not more than 160 m.
Lifestyle & Nutrition
The behavior of olive turtles is characterized by constant calm. In the morning they are in search of food, and the rest of the day is spent in measured swimming on the surface of the water. They prefer to be in the company of their own kind all the time. They are saved from abrupt cooling by straying into a large population, thereby retaining heat. In moments of impending danger, they prefer to avoid it in any way. On land, their pigs, possums and snakes, which ruin the masonry, threaten their lives.
An olive tortoise can be called omnivorous, but more often it prefers animal food. Her usual diet includes various invertebrates (shrimp, crabs, snails and jellyfish). Also eats algae. Sometimes it swallows inedible objects, including garbage thrown away by people (fragments of plastic bags, polystyrene, etc.). Being in captivity, can eat representatives of its own species.
Breeding
Every spring or early summer (the mating season depends on the place of mating), an adult individual of an olive turtle, the photo of which is presented below, returns to the beach where she first saw the light, to continue a kind. Moreover, the breeding site throughout the entire life cycle remains unchanged. This phenomenon is called "arribida" (Spanish. "Coming"). Turtles determine their birthplace unmistakably, despite the fact that they can survive the period of growing up in other territories. According to biologists, olive riddles use the Earth's magnetic field as a guideline.
An animal is considered sexually mature when its body is at least 60 cm long. Male and female mate in water, and egg laying is on land. First, a female individual rakes a hole about 35 cm deep with its hind legs. Next, the female lays about a hundred eggs, then backfills it with sand and tramps it, thereby making the place inconspicuous for natural enemies. At this, the maternal mission of the turtle is over - she returns to the edges of her permanent residence. Offspring are left to their own devices or chance.
Temperature is the main factor affecting the sex of a reptile. Males form in a cold environment, and females form in a warm environment (more than 30 degrees Celsius). The incubation period lasts about 45-50 days. At the end of this period, hatched turtles get to sea or ocean water. They do this exclusively at night, thereby reducing the risk of collision with predators. A special egg tooth allows turtles to cleverly break through the shell.
Population
Many creatures live in water and on land, who strive to feast on olive riddles. The embryos are eaten by coyotes, crows, dogs, vultures and others. Hatching young turtles feed on the above predators, as well as frigates and snakes. In the sea and ocean, the main danger is sharks. Most of the turtles do not have time to live to puberty, which is why the number of individuals is rapidly declining.
There are other reasons why the species is listed in the Red Book. The olive turtle is a regular victim of illegal capture. For poachers, both adult individuals and egg embryos are valuable. Further, the ridley gets into the kitchens of trendy restaurants, among the visitors of which are dishes from tortoise.
The number of broods also depends on the environmental factor and natural disasters. Garbage drifting in the oceans, a curious turtle likes to swallow, thereby causing irreparable harm to its body. Reptiles often fall into fishing nets. This threatens animals with quick death. Recently, however, fishermen have been using modern nets in which a dimensional turtle cannot be tangled.
Many residents of India and Mexico, both on a voluntary basis and at the state level, use the incubation method, and then release the born olive turtles into the long-awaited water expanse. As for life expectancy, the age of the most dexterous individuals can reach 70 years.