Carolina hammerhead vs Green Sea Turtle

Sphyrna gilberti compared with Chelonia mydas

Key Differences

• Carolina hammerhead is Data Deficient while Green Sea Turtle is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Carolina hammerhead	Green Sea Turtle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)
Family	Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead Sharks)	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
Genus	Sphyrna (Hammerhead Sharks)	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)
Species	Sphyrna gilberti	Chelonia mydas

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Carolina hammerhead

DD — Data Deficient

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Carolina hammerhead

Habitat

Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

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.

Carolina hammerhead

The Carolina Hammerhead (Sphyrna gilberti) is a species in the genus Sphyrna. It is currently classified as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

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.