Green Sea Turtle vs Spiny Heath Lichen

Chelonia mydas compared with Cetraria aculeata

Key Differences

• Green Sea Turtle is Endangered while Spiny Heath Lichen is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Green Sea Turtle	Spiny Heath Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Fungi (เห็ดรา)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Reptilia (สัตว์เลื้อยคลาน)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Testudines (เต่า)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)	Parmeliaceae
Genus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)	Cetraria
Species	Chelonia mydas	Cetraria aculeata

Conservation Status

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Spiny Heath Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Green Sea Turtle	Spiny Heath Lichen
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 Heath Lichen

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

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.