Butterfly ray vs Green Sea Turtle

Gymnura crebripunctata compared with Chelonia mydas

Key Differences

• Butterfly ray is Near Threatened while Green Sea Turtle is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Butterfly ray	Green Sea Turtle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)
Family	Gymnuridae	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
Genus	Gymnura	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)
Species	Gymnura crebripunctata	Chelonia mydas

Evolutionary Relationship

Butterfly ray and Green Sea Turtle share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Butterfly ray

NT — Near Threatened

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Butterfly ray	Green Sea Turtle
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	80 years
Average Length	—	1.2 m
Average Weight	—	200.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Butterfly ray

Green Sea Turtle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Mexico. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Butterfly ray

The Butterfly ray (Gymnura crebripunctata) is a species in the genus Gymnura. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.

Green Sea Turtle

The green sea turtle is one of the largest sea turtles. They are named for the green color of their cartilage and fat, not their shells.