Green Sea Turtle vs Scarlet Macaw

Chelonia mydas compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Green Sea Turtle is Endangered while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.
• Green Sea Turtle is 200.0x heavier than Scarlet Macaw.
• Green Sea Turtle lives longer (80 years vs 50 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Green Sea Turtle	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Chelonia mydas	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Green Sea Turtle	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	Herbivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	80 years	50 years
Average Length	1.2 m	85 cm
Average Weight	200.0 kg	1.0 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.

Scarlet Macaw

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Population trends indicate a declining trajectory in parts of 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.

Scarlet Macaw

One of the most brilliantly colored birds in the Americas, scarlet macaws display vivid red, yellow, and blue plumage with wingspans reaching 1 meter. Found in humid lowland forests from Mexico to Bolivia, they are highly intelligent, long-lived — up to 75 years — and form lifelong pair bonds. They travel long distances to clay licks where they consume mineral-rich soil to detoxify seeds. Listed as Least Concern but locally threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade.