Green Sea Turtle vs Western Thyme Plume

Chelonia mydas compared with Merrifieldia tridactyla

Key Differences

• Green Sea Turtle is Endangered while Western Thyme Plume is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Green Sea Turtle	Western Thyme Plume
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)	Pterophoridae
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Merrifieldia
Species	Chelonia mydas	Merrifieldia tridactyla

Evolutionary Relationship

Green Sea Turtle and Western Thyme Plume share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Western Thyme Plume

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Green Sea Turtle	Western Thyme Plume
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.

Western Thyme Plume

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate coniferous forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Asia (5 countries) and Europe (28 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.