Green sea turtles are totally tubular reptiles that live in warm coastal waters around the world. If you’ve been to a snazzy beach in Hawaii, Mexico, or somewhere else tropical, you might have seen one of these gnarly creatures swimming around or chilling on the shore. But what exactly do these rad turtles eat? It turns out their diet is pretty fascinating, dude! Read on for the full scoop.
Their Main Foods – Seagrass and Algae
Unlike us humans, green sea turtles are herbivores. That means they only munch on plants, man! Their two main foods are seagrass and algae. Seagrass is like underwater grass that grows in large meadows on the ocean floor. Green turtles especially love to eat turtle grass and shoal grass. Algae are plant-like organisms that grow on rocks and coral reefs near the sea surface. Both seagrass and algae give turtles the nutrients they need to thrive.
Some sea turtles eat jellyfish or other small creatures, but greens stick to the vegetarian lifestyle. They’re like the cowabunga cowboys of the sea, grazing peacefully on seagrass prairies. Moo! Just picture a giant turtle with a cowboy hat on – that’s a funny image!
How They Graze on Seagrass
So how exactly do green sea turtles eat seagrass? Well, they cruise slowly through seagrass beds, munching along the way. Their sharp beaks work like scissors to cut off bite-sized pieces of grass as they swim. It’s like when a cow meanders through a field nibbling grass, but underwater.
Green turtles take little nibbles here and there, skipping over certain sections to let them regrow. This prevents the turtles from ravaging the meadows. Sea turtles may be tubular, but they’re also considerate of their environment!
How Much Seagrass Do They Eat?
These turtles have a monster appetite for seagrass! An full-grown green turtle can eat over 2 pounds of seagrass per day. That’s like eating four Big Macs in one sitting!
To put it another way, greens eat about 2-3% of their body weight in seagrass daily. If a turtle weighs 200 pounds (which many adults do), it would gobble up 4-6 pounds of seagrass per day. That’s a lot of underwater salad!
Baby turtles and juveniles eat even more compared to their tiny size. They need plenty of seagrass to help them grow big and strong. If greens had a life motto, it would be “Eat grass, get mass!”
Other Foods They Eat
In addition to being major league seagrass munchers, green sea turtles also snack on other marine edibles:
- Seaweed – Greens will occasionally nosh on different types of seaweed for variety. It adds some extra flavor and nutrients to their plant-based diet.
- Jellyfish – While greens prefer plants, they’ll sometimes chow down on a jellyfish appetizer. The jiggly creatures provide a shot of protein.
- Sponges – Sponges growing on coral reefs are another occasional snack. Sponges give greens a boost of extra vitamins and minerals.
It’s like when we humans eat a salad with some nuts, berries, and a light dressing. The greens (haha) get their base fill from the lettuce, but add little extras for a nutritious, yummy meal. Turtle grass is the lettuce, and seaweed, jellies, and sponges are the toppings!
Their Special Digestive System
You may be wondering…how do sea turtles digest and gain nutrients from seagrass and algae? After all, their leafy, water-filled foods are very different from a juicy steak or burger. Well, green sea turtles have a digestive system specially adapted to their plant-based, underwater lifestyle.
Here are some key facts about their digestive anatomy:
- Long intestines – A green turtle’s intestines are super lengthy compared to other animals, stretching up to 50 feet! This gives plant matter extra time to break down as it slowly winds through.
- Powerful enzymes – Their intestinal lining secretes strong enzymes that help unlock nutrients from sturdy seagrass cell walls.
- Special microbes -GREEN SEA TURTLE EAT – Their gut contains symbiotic bacteria and microbes that aid digestion, just like the helpful bugs in our own stomachs! But turtle microbes are tailored to marine plants.
- Absorptive colon – At the end of their long intestines, greens have an absorptive colon where nutrients are actively absorbed into the body. This last section is packed with blood vessels to transport nutrients once they’re extracted from food.
So in summary, green sea turtles have the perfect digestive setup to fully break down and absorb nutrients from the seagrasses and algae they constantly munch on. No wonder greens grow so gigantic eating just plants!
Conclusion
Well, I hope this post gave you the inside scoop on the bodacious eating habits of green sea turtles! To recap, these awesome turtles are mainly herbivores that feast on seagrasses and algae. They gracefully graze through seagrass meadows, using their sharp beaks to take nibbles here and there.
Adult green sea turtles can eat 2-3% of their huge body weight in seagrass every day – that’s a massive amount of marine salad! Their long intestines and specialized digestive enzymes help them digest all that plant matter into vital nutrients.
Understanding what green sea turtles eat helps explain how they survive and thrive in their ocean habitats. As you hang ten at the beach this summer, keep an eye out for green turtles cruising by. Watching them gracefully munch on seagrass is a totally gnarly sight!
Now go grab a snack, dude! Writing about hungry turtles is making me crave some munchies too. Cowabunga!