Green Sea Turtle vs Prickly Russian Thistle

Chelonia mydas compared with Salsola tragus

Key Differences

• Green Sea Turtle is Endangered while Prickly Russian Thistle is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Green Sea Turtle	Prickly Russian Thistle
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Amaranthaceae
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Salsola
Species	Chelonia mydas	Salsola tragus

Conservation Status

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Prickly Russian Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Green Sea Turtle	Prickly Russian Thistle
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	80 years	—
Average Length	1.2 m	—
Average Weight	200.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Prickly Russian Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Lesotho, South Africa), Europe (8 countries), and North America (Canada, United States).

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.