Kingdom: Animalia > Phylum: Chordata > Class: Reptilia > Order: Testudines > Family: Cheloniidae > Genus: Chelonia > Species: Chelonia mydas

Green turtle - Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Quick facts

Threat status Europe	Not evaluated (IUCN)
EU conservation status by biogeographical region	Marine Atlantic - Unfavourable-Bad
	Marine Macaronesian - Unknown
	Marine Mediterranean - Unfavourable-Bad
Protected by	EU Habitats Directive and 7 other international agreements
Natura 2000 sites	57 are designated for this species
Most preferred habitats	coastal shelf
Natura 2000 species code	1227

Distribution

The distribution map is currently disabled. A new map solution will soon become available. In the meantime, please consult other species distribution map providers listed in the Other resources panel below.

Threat and conservation status

IUCN Red List status of threatened species

The IUCN Red List threat status assesses the risk of extinction.

World

Endangered

Europe

Not evaluated

IUCN Red List Category

Not Evaluated	Near Threatened	Regionally Extinct
Not Applicable	Vulnerable	Extinct in the Wild
Data Deficient	Endangered	Extinct
Least Concern	Critically Endangered

Sources:

EU conservation status

Conservation status assesses every six years and for each biogeographical region the condition of habitats and species compared to the favourable status as described in the Habitats Directive. The map shows the 2007-2012 assessments as reported by EU Member State. Assessments are further detailed in the summary document available behind the link below.

Favourable: the species is viable and maintaining itself on a long-term basis, its natural range is not reduced, and it has a sufficient large habitat.
Unfavourable-Inadequate: the species is not as critical as being unfavourable-bad, but still requires significant conservation and restoration measure to make it viable in the long-term, or to enlarged its current range, or to improve the quality and availability of its habitat.
Unfavourable-Bad: the species is either not maintaining itself on a long-term basis and is not viable, or its natural range as been or is being drastically reduced, or its habitat is largely insufficient; the species requires major conservation and restoration measures.
Unknown: the information available for the species is scarce and does not allow a proper assessment of its conservation status.

Sources:

Full table details

Conservation status (2007-2012) of species (Habitats Directive, Article 17) by EU Member State:

country	region	conclusion
Cyprus	Marine Mediterranean	Unfavourable-Bad
France	Marine Atlantic	Unfavourable-Bad
France	Marine Mediterranean	Unknown
Greece	Marine Mediterranean	Unfavourable-Bad
Italy	Marine Mediterranean	Unknown
Spain	Marine Atlantic	Unknown
Spain	Marine Macaronesian	Unknown
Spain	Marine Mediterranean	Unknown
United Kingdom	Marine Atlantic	Unknown
United Kingdom	Marine Mediterranean	Unfavourable-Inadequate

Natura 2000 sites

Protected in the following Natura 2000 sites

Sitecode	Country	Site name	Action
ES7010017	Spain	Franja marina de Mogán	Map
ES7010020	Spain	Sebadales de La Graciosa	Map
ES7010022	Spain	Sebadales de Corralejo	Map
ES7010035	Spain	Playa de Sotavento de Jandía	Map
ES7010048	Spain	Bahía de Gando	Map
ES7010053	Spain	Playa del Cabrón	Map
ES7020017	Spain	Franja marina Teno-Rasca	Map
ES7020057	Spain	Mar de Las Calmas	Map
ES7020116	Spain	Sebadales del sur de Tenerife	Map
GR2210001	Greece	DYTIKES KAI VOREIOANATOLIKES AKTES ZAKYNTHOU	Map
GR2230001	Greece	LIMNOTHALASSA ANTINIOTI (KERKYRA)	Map
GR2240001	Greece	LIMNOTHALASSES STENON LEFKADAS (PALIONIS - AVLIMON) KAI ALYKES LEFKADAS	Map
GR2320006	Greece	ALYKI AIGIOU	Map
GR4210008	Greece	KOS: AKROTIRIO LOUROS - LIMNI PSALIDI - OROS DIKAIOS - ALYKI - PARAKTIA THALASSIA ZONI	Map
GR2140003	Greece	PARAKTIA THALASSIA ZONI APO PARGA EOS AKROTIRIO AGIOS THOMAS (PREVEZA), AKR. KELADIO - AG. THOMAS	Map
GR2230004	Greece	NISOI PAXOI KAI ANTIPAXOI KAI EVRYTERI THALASSIA PERIOCHI	Map
GR4210007	Greece	NOTIA NISYROS KAI STRONGYLI, IFAISTIAKO PEDIO KAI PARAKTIA THALASSIA ZONI	Map
GR1220012	Greece	LIMNOTHALASSA EPANOMIS KAI THALASSIA PARAKTIA ZONI	Map
GR4210009	Greece	ASTYPALAIA: ANATOLIKO TMIMA, GYRO NISIDES KAI OFIDOUSSA KAI THALASSIA ZONI (AKR. LANTRA - AKR. VRYSI)	Map
GR2120001	Greece	EKVOLES (DELTA) KALAMA	Map
GR4220014	Greece	KENTRIKI KAI NOTIA NAXOS: ZAS KAI VIGLA EOS MAVROVOUNI KAI THALASSIA ZONI (ORMOS KARADES - ORMOS MOUTSOUNAS)	Map
GR4110004	Greece	LESVOS: KOLPOS KALLONIS KAI CHERSAIA PARAKTIA ZONI	Map
GR2330008	Greece	THALASSIA PERIOCHI KOLPOU KYPARISSIAS: AKR. KATAKOLO - KYPARISSIA	Map
GR2510003	Greece	AKRONAFPLIA KAI PALAMIDI	Map
GR2450004	Greece	PARALIAKI ZONI APO NAFPAKTO EOS ITEA - PERIOCHI PIGON CHILIADOU	Map
GR4220019	Greece	TINOS: MYRSINI - AKROTIRIO LIVADA	Map
GR4210004	Greece	KASTELLORIZO KAI NISIDES RO KAI STRONGYLI KAI PARAKTIA THALASSIA ZONI	Map
CY4000001	Cyprus	PERIOCHI POLIS - GIALIA	Map
GR1150009	Greece	KOLPOS PALAIOU - ORMOS ELEFTHERON	Map
GR3000010	Greece	NISIDES KYTHIRON: PRASONISI, DRAGONERA, ANTIDRAGONERA	Map
GR4330004	Greece	PRASSANO FARANGI - PATSOS - SFAKORYAKO REMA - PARALIA RETHYMNOU KAI EKVOLI GEROPOTAMOU, AKR. LIANOS KAVOS - PERIVOLIA	Map
GR3000004	Greece	VRAVRONA - PARAKTIA THALASSIA ZONI	Map
GR4340010	Greece	DRAPANO (VOREIOANATOLIKES AKTES) – PARALIA GEORGIOUPOLIS – LIMNI KOURNA - SPILAIO PSIMAKI	Map
GR2310001	Greece	DELTA ACHELOOU, LIMNOTHALASSA MESOLONGIOU - AITOLIKOU, EKVOLES EVINOU, NISOI ECHINADES, NISOS PETALAS	Map
GR2220004	Greece	PARAKTIA THALASSIA ZONI APO ARGOSTOLI EOS VLACHATA (KEFALONIA) KAI ORMOS MOUNTA	Map
GR3000003	Greece	ETHNIKO PARKO SCHINIA - MARATHONA	Map
GR1420004	Greece	KARLA – MAVROVOUNI – KEFALOVRYSO VELESTINOU – NEOCHORI	Map
GR4120001	Greece	SAMOS: PARALIA ALYKI	Map
GR2220003	Greece	ESOTERIKO ARCHIPELAGOS IONIOU (MEGANISI, ARKOUDI, ATOKOS, VROMONAS)	Map
GR2550003	Greece	NISOI SAPIENTZA KAI SCHIZA, AKROTIRIO AKRITAS	Map
GR2230005	Greece	PARAKTIA THALASSIA ZONI APO KANONI EOS MESONGI (KERKYRA)	Map
GR2540003	Greece	EKVOLES EVROTA, PERIOCHI VRONTAMA KAI THALASSIA PERIOCHI LAKONIKOU KOLPOU	Map
GR2220005	Greece	DYTIKES AKTES KEFALONIAS - STENO KEFALONIAS ITHAKIS - VOREIA ITHAKI (AKROTIRIA GERO GKOMPOS - DRAKOU PIDIMA - KENTRI - AG. IOANNIS)	Map
GR2550004	Greece	LIMNOTHALASSA PYLOU (DIVARI) KAI NISOS SFAKTIRIA, AGIOS DIMITRIOS	Map
ES6200048	Spain	Valles submarinos del Escarpe de Mazarrón	Map
GR4210010	Greece	ARKOI, LEIPSOI, AGATHONISI KAI VRACHONISIDES	Map
GR1430001	Greece	OROS PILIO KAI PARAKTIA THALASSIA ZONI- SPILAIA MALAKI KAI SKEPONI	Map
GR2330007	Greece	PARAKTIA THALASSIA ZONI APO AKR. KYLLINI EOS TOUMPI - KALOGRIA	Map
GR2540002	Greece	PERIOCHI NEAPOLIS KAI NISOS ELAFONISOS	Map
GR3000006	Greece	YMITTOS - AISTHITIKO DASOS KAISARIANIS - LIMNI VOULIAGMENIS	Map
CY4000010	Cyprus	CHERSONISOS AKAMA	Map
CY4000023	Cyprus	ZONI EIDIKIS PROSTASIAS CHERSONISOS AKAMA	Map
GR1110013	Greece	THALASSIA PERIOCHI THRAKIS	Map
GR2220007	Greece	THALASSIA ZONI APO ARGOSTOLI EOS ORMO MOUNTA	Map
GR2530007	Greece	KORINTHIAKOS KOLPOS	Map
GR2550010	Greece	THALASSIA PERIOCHI NOTIAS MESSINIAS	Map
PTMMD0001	Portugal	Cetáceos da Madeira	Map

Protected sites

Please note the site map takes a while to display.

Legal status

Mentioned in the following international legal instruments and agreements

Legal text	Annex	More information
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - consolidated version 01/01/2007 (EU Habitats Directive)	Annex II: animal and plant species of community interest whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation.	http://ec.europa.eu/environm...rective/index_en.htm
	Annex IV: animal and plant species of community interest in need of strict protection.
Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats (Bern Convention)	Annex II: strictly protected fauna species	http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cul.../bern/default_en.asp
	Revised Annex I of Resolution 6 (1998) of the Bern Convention listing the species requiring specific habitat conservation measures (year of revision 2011)	https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc....ckColorLogged=FDC864 Resolution No. 6 (1998) of the Bern Convention lists the species requiring specific habitat conservation measures [and the designation of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) forming for the Emerald network]
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. (Bonn Convention)	Annex I: migratory species which are endangered and must be protected by Parties	http://www.cms.int/
	Annex II: migratory species which have an unfavourable conservation status and which require international agreements for their conservation and management, as well as those which have a conservation status which would significantly benefit from the international co-operation that could be achieved by an international agreement.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)	Annex I: species threatened with extinction which are or may be affected by trade. Trade in specimens of these species must be subject to particularly strict regulation in order not to endanger further their survival and must only be authorized in exceptional circumstances.	http://www.cites.org/eng
Commission regulation (EU) No 1320/2014, of 1 December 2014, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein (EU regulation of trade of fauna and flora)	Annex A includes: All CITES Appendix I species, except where EU Member States have entered a reservation; Some CITES Appendix II and III species, for which the EU has adopted stricter domestic measures; Some non-CITES species	http://ec.europa.eu/environm...s/legislation_en.htm
Barcelona Convention Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean (SPA/BD Protocol)	Annex II: Endangered or threatened species that the Parties shall manage with the aim of maintaining them in a favourable state of conservation. They shall ensure their maximum possible protection and recovery.	http://rac-spa.org/protocol http://rac-spa.org/sites/def...sion_ig_19_12_en.pdf

Common names and synonyms

Common Name	Language	Reference
Green turtle	English	Gasc J.P. and al.
Suppenschildkröte	German	Gasc J.P. and al.
Tortue franche	French	Gasc J.P. and al.
Tortue verte	French	Gasc J.P. and al.
Tortuga verde	Spanish	Gasc J.P. and al.

Synonym	Author
Testudo viridis	Schneider, 1783
Chelonia virgata	Schweigger, 1812

Other resources

EoL	Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea	Fauna Europaea
GBIF	Global Biodiversity Information Facility
Habitats Directive Art. 17-2006 summary
ITIS (Valid name)	Interagency Taxonomic Information System
NCBI search	National Center for Biotechnology Information
PESI (Accepted)	Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure
Species+	Species+ by UNEP-WCMC
Wikipedia	Wikipedia
WoRMS	World Register of Marine Species

External data

No external data sets available for this species

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