Green Sea Turtle vs Soft Puffball

Chelonia mydas compared with Lycoperdon molle

Key Differences

• Green Sea Turtle is Endangered while Soft Puffball is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Green Sea Turtle	Soft Puffball
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Lycoperdaceae
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Lycoperdon
Species	Chelonia mydas	Lycoperdon molle

Conservation Status

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Soft Puffball

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Green Sea Turtle	Soft Puffball
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.

Soft Puffball

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (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.