Green Sea Turtle vs small tortoiseshell

Chelonia mydas compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Green Sea Turtle is Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Green Sea Turtle	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Aglais
Species	Chelonia mydas	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Green Sea Turtle and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Green Sea Turtle	small tortoiseshell
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.

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

small tortoiseshell

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.