Eastern Cape Cycad vs Green Sea Turtle

Encephalartos altensteinii compared with Chelonia mydas

Key Differences

• Eastern Cape Cycad is Vulnerable while Green Sea Turtle is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eastern Cape Cycad	Green Sea Turtle
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Cycadopsida (Cycadopsida)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Cycadales (Cycadales)	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)
Family	Zamiaceae	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
Genus	Encephalartos	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)
Species	Encephalartos altensteinii	Chelonia mydas

Conservation Status

Eastern Cape Cycad

VU — Vulnerable

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eastern Cape Cycad	Green Sea Turtle
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	80 years
Average Length	—	1.2 m
Average Weight	—	200.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Eastern Cape Cycad

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.

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.