Black sea turtle
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Black sea turtle ( Chelonia agassizii ) |
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| Chelonia agassizii | ||||||||||||
| Bocourt , 1868 |
The black sea turtle ( Chelonia agassizii ; also Chelonia mydas agassizii ) is a representative of the sea turtle whose species status is currently not yet fully understood.
Surname
The zoological name is a reference to Louis Agassiz . In German the animal is called "black green turtle" because of its meat. Based on the name "Black Turtle", which is common in English-speaking countries , this turtle is also called "Tortuga negra" in Mexico , although the name "Tortuga prieta" is more common. These names refer to the colors of the armor of the animals, the color spectrum of which ranges from gray to black, on which the animal has brown or olive-green bandages. The underside varies between light gray and greenish gray. The shell can reach a length of about one meter, the weight of the animal is a maximum of 130 kg.
The black sea turtle is found mainly on the Pacific coast of North and South America from British Columbia ( Canada ) to Chile and around the island groups of Hawaii , Easter Island , Galápagos Islands and Revillagigedo Islands . The diet of the animals is predominantly vegetarian and consists of various seaweeds, as well as some animals.
Danger
Black sea turtles were hunted intensively, especially because of their meat and eggs. Today they are threatened with extinction and are under international protection under the Washington Convention on Endangered Species .
