Green Sea Turtle vs Spiral Apple-moss

Chelonia mydas compared with Philonotis seriata

Key Differences

• Green Sea Turtle is Endangered while Spiral Apple-moss is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Green Sea Turtle	Spiral Apple-moss
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Bryophyta
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)	Bartramiales (Bartramiales)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Bartramiaceae
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Philonotis
Species	Chelonia mydas	Philonotis seriata

Conservation Status

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Spiral Apple-moss

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Green Sea Turtle	Spiral Apple-moss
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.

Spiral Apple-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

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.