More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Turtles of Zihuatanejo
ORDER TESTUDINES
-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)
-Turtles and Tortoises (Order Testudines)
-Sea Turtles (Superfamily Chelonioidea)
-Typical Sea Turtles Family Cheloniidae
-Hawksbill, Loggerhead, and Ridley Sea Turtles (Subfamily Carettinae)
-Ridley Sea Turtles (Genus Lepidochelys)
-Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
Olive ridley turtles are the smallest and most numerous of the seven sea turtle species. The ‘olive’ in their common name comes from the coloration of the adults. Males usually spend their entire lives at sea while females characteristically only leave the water to lay their eggs, usually on the beach where they themselves hatched (nest site fidelity). For all life stages, olive ridleys eat mostly benthic invertebrates (crabs, other crustaceans, and mollusks) and occasionally jellies.
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys olivacea
Description
• Lepidochelys olivacea, commonly known as the olive ridley sea turtle, is a marine reptile in the family Cheloniidae. It is one of the smallest sea turtle species, with adults typically measuring about 60–70 cm in shell length. Its rounded, heart-shaped shell is usually olive-grey to greenish, and it commonly has five to nine pairs of costal scutes. Olive ridleys are especially known for arribadas, mass nesting events in which large numbers of females come ashore together to lay their eggs.
Range
• The olive ridley sea turtle occurs in tropical and subtropical waters of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. In the eastern Pacific, it ranges along the coasts of Mexico and Central America, including the waters of Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• This species inhabits warm coastal waters and the open ocean. It forages in shallow bays, estuaries, and nearshore waters, but also travels through offshore pelagic environments. Females nest on sandy beaches, often returning to traditional nesting sites during the breeding season.
Diet
• Lepidochelys olivacea is an opportunistic omnivore. Its diet includes crabs, shrimp, other crustaceans, molluscs, jellyfish, tunicates, and small fish, as well as algae and other marine plant material. Its exact diet varies with location, prey availability, and life stage.