Green Sea Turtle vs Spiny Baskettail

Chelonia mydas compared with Epitheca spinigera

Key Differences

• Green Sea Turtle is Endangered while Spiny Baskettail is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Green Sea Turtle	Spiny Baskettail
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Corduliidae
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Epitheca
Species	Chelonia mydas	Epitheca spinigera

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Spiny Baskettail

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Green Sea Turtle	Spiny Baskettail
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.

Spiny Baskettail

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in 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.