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125-556: The original settlers were the Lucayan people , who arrived sometime between 500 and 800 CE, crossing in dugout canoes from Hispaniola and/or Cuba to the Bahamas. The larger island was initially called by the name Heneagua , which may derive from a Spanish expression meaning 'water is to be found there'. Two names of apparent Lucayan origin, Inagua (meaning "Small Eastern Island") and Baneque (meaning "Big Water Island"), were used by

250-660: A trace element analysis. Columbus thought the Lucayans resembled the Guanche of the Canary Islands , in part because they were intermediate in skin color between Europeans and Africans. He described the Lucayans as handsome, graceful, well-proportioned, gentle, generous and peaceful, and customarily going almost completely naked. Peter Martyr d'Anghiera said that the Lucayan women were so beautiful that men from "other countries" moved to

375-533: A beaked head at the end of a short neck, and paddle-like arms well-adapted for swimming. Adult green turtles grow to 1.5 metres (5 ft) long. The average weight of mature individuals is 68–190 kg (150–419 lb) and the average carapace length is 78–112 cm (31–44 in). They are considered the second largest sea turtle in the United States, after the leatherback sea turtle. Exceptional specimens can weigh 315 kg (694 lb) or even more, with

500-470: A few hairs in back which were never cut. Columbus reported seeing scars on the bodies of some of the men, which were explained to him as resulting from attempts by people from other islands to capture them. In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain with three ships, seeking a direct route to Asia. On October 12, 1492 Columbus reached an island in the Bahamas, an event long regarded as the 'discovery' of America. This first island to be visited by Columbus

625-573: A few islands south of Tasmania . Significant nesting grounds are scattered throughout the entire Pacific region, including Mexico , the Hawaiian Islands , the South Pacific , the northern coast of Australia , and Southeast Asia . Major Indian Ocean nesting colonies include India , Pakistan , Sri Lanka and other coastal countries. The turtles can also be found throughout the Indian Ocean ;

750-612: A larger Taíno population in the Greater Antilles . The Lucayans, along with the Taínos in Jamaica , most of Cuba and parts of western Hispaniola have been classified as part of a Sub-Taíno, Western Taíno or Ciboney Taíno cultural and language group. Keegan describes any distinctions between Lucayans and Classical Taínos of Hispaniola and eastern Cuba as largely arbitrary. The Lucayans lived in smaller political units, simple chiefdoms , compared to

875-500: A later settlement wave from Hispaniola. Population density in the southernmost Bahamas remained lower, probably due to the drier climate there, less than 800 millimetres (31 in) of rain a year on Great Inagua Island and the Turks and Caicos Islands and only slightly higher on Acklins and Crooked Islands and Mayaguana. Based on Lucayan names for the islands, Granberry and Vescelius argue for two origins of settlement; one from Hispaniola to

1000-453: A migrating species, their global distribution spans into the open ocean. The differences in mitochondrial DNA more than likely stems from the populations being isolated from each other by the southern tips of both South America and Africa with no warm waters for the green sea turtles to migrate through. The green sea turtle is estimated to inhabit coastal areas of more than 140 countries, with nesting sites in over 80 countries worldwide throughout

1125-443: A name. Keegan suggests that the confusion of spellings was due to grammatically differing forms of the name for the chief and for the village or island, or was simply due to Columbus's difficulty with the Lucayan language. Columbus spent three days sailing back and forth along the shore of an island seeking Samaot. At one point he sought to reach Samaot by sailing eastward, but the water was too shallow, and he felt that sailing around

1250-400: A pair of large, paddle -like flippers . It is usually lightly colored, although in the eastern Pacific populations, parts of the carapace can be almost black. Unlike other members of its family, such as the hawksbill sea turtle , C. mydas is mostly herbivorous . The adults usually inhabit shallow lagoons , feeding mostly on various species of seagrasses . The turtles bite off the tips of

1375-446: A piece of cassava bread to participants, which were kept preserved until the following year. Green sea turtle The green sea turtle ( Chelonia mydas ), also known as the green turtle , black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle , is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae . It is the only species in the genus Chelonia . Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around

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1500-875: A population or subspecies of the green turtle (instead of a separate species). However, this is possibly a case of political taxonomy. As such the three major international checklists that cover turtles of the world Reptile Database the checklist of Fritz and Havas (2007) and the IUCN Checklist (TTWG 2017) all consider this a junior synonym. Green sea turtles move across three habitat types, depending on their life stage . They lay eggs on beaches. Mature turtles spend most of their time in shallow, coastal waters with lush seagrass beds. Adults frequent inshore bays, lagoons, and shoals with lush seagrass meadows . Entire generations often migrate between one pair of feeding and nesting areas. Green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas , are classified as an aquatic species and are distributed around

1625-415: A problem with this hypothesis is that some turtles travel thousands of miles to return to their native beaches, and the scents from that area are not likely to travel and be distinguishable from that distance. The second hypothesis is the geomagnetic. This hypothesis states that as it hatches, a young turtle will imprint on the magnetic field of the beach they are born on. This hypothesis strongly correlates to

1750-521: A reasonable estimate for Lucayan houses. While not mentioned for Lucayan houses, the houses in Cuba were described as having two doors. Classic Taíno villages in Hispaniola and eastern Cuba typically had houses arranged around a central plaza, and often located along rivers with access to good agricultural land. Lucayan villages were linear, along the coast, often on the leeward side of an island, but also found on

1875-701: A record number. In addition to sporadic distribution of nesting sites, feeding grounds are much more widely distributed throughout Florida . Important feeding grounds in Florida include Indian River Lagoon , the Florida Keys , Florida Bay , Homosassa , Crystal River , and Cedar Key . Notable locations in South America include secluded beaches in Suriname and French Guiana . In the Southern Atlantic Ocean,

2000-778: A relatively slow growth rate because of the low nutritional value of their diet. Body fat turns green because of the consumed vegetation . This diet shift has an effect on the green turtle's skull morphology. Their serrated jaw helps them chew green and red algae (such as filamentous red alga ( Bostrychia ), red moss ( Caloglossa ), freshwater red algae ( Compsopogon ), lobster horns ( Polysiphonia ), sea lettuce ( Ulva lactuca ), green seaweed ( Gayralia ), and crinkle grass ( Rhizoclonium )) and sea grasses. They also consume large quantities of wetland plants such as Avicennia schaueriana and Sporobolus alterniflorus , which are commonly found in salt marshes. Most adult sea turtles are strictly herbivorous. Only some human beings and

2125-698: A separate species. These two "species" were then united as Chelonia mydas and populations were given subspecies status: C. mydas mydas referred to the originally described population, while C. mydas agassizi referred only to the Pacific population known as the Galápagos green turtle. This subdivision was later determined to be invalid and all species members were then designated Chelonia mydas . The oft-mentioned name C. agassizi remains an invalid junior synonym of C. mydas . The species' common name does not derive from any particular green external coloration of

2250-479: A single claw (as opposed to the hawksbill two), although a second claw is sometimes prominent in young specimens. The carapace of the turtle has various color patterns that change over time. Hatchlings of Chelonia mydas , like those of other marine turtles, have mostly black carapaces and light-colored plastrons. Carapaces of juveniles turn dark brown to olive, while those of mature adults are either entirely brown, spotted or marbled with variegated rays. Underneath,

2375-439: A slow-boiling stew that prevented the spoiling of its ingredients. The Spanish also reported that the Lucayans grew sweet potatoes, cocoyams , arrowroot, leren , yampee , peanuts, beans and cucurbits. The Lucayans probably took most, if not all, of their crops with them to the Bahamas. The Lucayans may have grown papayas, pineapples, guava, mammee apple , guinep and tamarind fruit. There were few land animals available in

2500-475: A time, but submergence time is much shorter while diving for food or to escape predators. Breath-holding ability is affected by activity and stress, which is why turtles quickly drown in shrimp trawlers and other fishing gear. During the night while sleeping and to protect themselves from potential predators, the adults wedge themselves under rocks below the surface and under ledges in reefs and coastal rocks. Many green sea turtles have been observed in returning to

2625-413: A variety of parasites including barnacles , leeches , protozoans , cestodes , and nematodes . Barnacles attach to the carapace, and leeches to the flippers and skin of the turtles, causing damage to the soft tissues and leading to blood loss. Protozoans, cestodes and nematodes lead to many turtle deaths because of the infections in the liver and intestinal tract they cause. The greatest disease threat to

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2750-476: A very small portion of the meat in the Lucayan diet. The balance of dietary meat came from marine mollusks. The main meats were fishes and mollusks from the grass flat and patch reef habitats that are found between the beach and the barrier reef, and include parrotfish, grouper, snapper, bonefish, queen conch, urchins, nerites, chitons, and clams. Maize was a recent introduction to the Greater Antilles when

2875-504: A woman resided with her husband's family, but Keegan argues that this was not patrilocal residence in the strict sense, but rather residence in the husband's uncle's household ( avunculocal residence ). Lucayans, like other Taínos, lived in multi-household houses. Descriptions of Lucayan houses by the Spanish match those of houses used by Taínos in Hispaniola and Cuba: shaped like a round tent, tall, made of poles and thatch, with an opening at

3000-727: A year — the second largest solar saline operation in North America and Inagua's main industry. Great Inagua Airport ( IATA : IGA , ICAO : MYIG ) is located nearby. A large bird sanctuary in the centre of the island has a population of more than 80,000 West Indian flamingoes and many other bird species, including the Bahama parrot , Inagua woodstar , Bahama pintail , brown pelican , tricolored heron , snowy egret , reddish egret , stripe-headed tanager , double-crested cormorant , Neotropic cormorant , roseate spoonbill , American kestrel , and burrowing owl . The Union Creek National Reserve

3125-459: Is Java's primary religion). In Bali , turtle meat was a prominent feature at ceremonial and religious feasts. Turtles were harvested in the remotest parts of the Indonesian archipelago . Bali has been importing sea turtles since the 1950s, as its own turtle supplies became depleted. The mostly Hindu Balinese do not eat the eggs, but sell them instead to local Muslims . Commercial farms, such as

3250-456: Is a member of the tribe Cheloniini . A 1993 study clarified the status of genus Chelonia with respect to the other marine turtles. The carnivorous Eretmochelys (hawksbill), Caretta (loggerhead) and Lepidochelys (ridley) were assigned to the tribe Carettini . Herbivorous Chelonia warranted their status as a genus , while Natator (flatback) was further removed from the other genera than previously believed. The species

3375-510: Is an interesting phenomenon. Many researchers believe that sea turtles use a process called imprinting, which is a special type of learning that occurs when turtles first hatch that allows them to recognize their native beach. There are two types of imprinting that are thought to be the reason turtles can find these beaches. The first is the chemical imprinting hypothesis. This hypothesis states that much like salmon, sea turtles are able to use olfactory cues and senses to smell their way home. However,

3500-482: Is considered a junior synonym of Chelonia mydas as such it is considered as a local variant of the populations of the East Pacific waters and those of other nesting areas. The morphological distinctiveness of the Galápagos green turtle has given rise to the debate, but evidence of taxonomic distinctiveness is best served using the combination of multiple datasets. The two most notable morphological distinctions are

3625-439: Is known as natal homing . The males also return to their birthplaces in order to mate. These males that return to their homes know they will be able to find mates because the females born there also return to breed. By doing this, the green sea turtles are able to improve their reproductive success and is why they are willing to expend the energy to travel thousands of miles across the ocean in order to reproduce. Mating behaviour

3750-632: Is known until past the southern tip of Africa in the east and Argentina in the western Atlantic. The major nesting sites can be found on various islands in the Caribbean , along the Atlantic coast of Florida in the United States, the eastern coast of the South American continent and most notably, on isolated North Atlantic islands. In the Caribbean, major nesting sites have been identified on Aves Island ,

3875-479: Is no particular evidence that this was the route of the initial settlement of the Bahamas. From an initial settlement of Great Inagua Island, the Lucayans expanded throughout the Bahamas Islands in some 800 years (c. 700 – c. 1500), growing to a population of about 40,000. Population density at the time of first European contact was highest in the south central area of the Bahamas, declining towards

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4000-417: Is over the binomial classification of the species. At one point the name Chelonia agassizii was applied to this population as a separate species. Analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA of 15 nesting beaches, however, has demonstrated that there is not only no significant distinction of this population but that it would be paraphyletic to recognise it. As such the species name Chelonia agassizzii

4125-440: Is similar to other marine turtles. Female turtles control the process. A few populations practice polyandry , although this does not seem to benefit hatchlings. After mating in the water, the female moves above the beach's high tide line, where she digs a hole 28–56 centimetres (11–22 in) in depth with her hind flippers and deposits her eggs. The hole is then covered up again. Clutch size ranges between 85 and 200, depending on

4250-463: Is simply a color mutation. These facts have led to the debate over binomial separation however due to the significance of the DNA testing results there have been no distinctions made at this time. At a meeting for sea turtle scientists and their collaborators in 2000, the evidence for the taxonomic position of the Galápagos green turtle was reviewed and a majority among the participants supported treating it as

4375-473: Is specially set aside for the study of green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas ). The neighbouring Little Inagua , 8 km (5 mi; 4 nmi) to the northeast, is uninhabited and occupied by a large Land and Sea Park. It has an area of 30 sq mi (78 km), with herds of feral donkeys and goats (descendants of stock introduced by the French ). Various species of endangered sea turtles breed on

4500-436: Is the second largest island in the Bahamas at 596 sq mi (1544 km) and lies about 55 miles (89 kilometres) from the eastern tip of Cuba . The island is about 55 by 19 mi (89 by 31 km) in extent and mostly flat with some sand hills, the highest points being East Hill at 132 ft (40 m), Salt Pond Hill at 102 ft (31 m), and James Hill at 90 ft (27 m). It encloses several lakes, most notably

4625-494: Is the strongest contender with the former Watling Island theory. Columbus visited several other islands in the Bahamas hunting for gold before sailing on to Cuba. Columbus spent a few days visiting other islands in the vicinity: Santa María de la Concepción, Fernandina, and Saomete. Lucayans on San Salvador had told Columbus that he could find a "king" who had a lot of gold at the village of Samaot , also spelled Samoet , Saomete or Saometo . Taíno chiefs and villages often shared

4750-462: Is vague, perhaps because he was trespassing on Columbus's discoveries, which at the time remained under Columbus. There may have been other unrecorded Spanish landfalls in the Bahamas, shipwrecks and slaving expeditions. Maps published between 1500 and 1508 appear to show details of the Bahamas, Cuba and the North American mainland that were not officially reported until later. European artifacts of

4875-603: The Arabian Sea , both in Ash Sharqiyah , Oman , and along the coast of Karachi , Pakistan . Some specific beaches there, such as Hawke's Bay and Sandspit , are common to both C. mydas and L. olivacea subpopulation. Sandy beaches along Sindh and Balochistan are nesting sites. Some 25 kilometers (16 mi) off the Pakistani coast , Astola island is another nesting beach. The population that has often been known as

5000-644: The Cayman Turtle Farm in the West Indies , once bred them for commercial sale of turtle meat, turtle oil (rendered from the fat), turtle shell, and turtle leather made from the skin. The farm's initial stock was in large part from "doomed" eggs removed from nests threatened by erosion, flooding, or in chemically hostile soil. The farms held as many as 100,000 turtles at any one time. When the international markets were closed by regulations that did not allow even farm-bred turtle products to be exported internationally,

5125-586: The Great Barrier Reef has two genetically distinct populations ; one north and one south. Within the reef, 20 separate locations consisting of small islands and cays were identified as nesting sites for either population of C. mydas . Of these, the most important is on Raine Island . In the Torres Strait there is a large rookery on Bramble Cay . The Coral Sea has nesting areas of world significance. Major nesting sites are common on either side of

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5250-639: The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and the Caribbean Sea . The green sea turtle can generally be found throughout the Atlantic Ocean . Although the species is most abundant in tropical climates, green sea turtles can also be found in temperate climates , and individuals have been spotted as far north as Canada in the western Atlantic, and the Cimbrian peninsular in the east. The subpopulation's southern range

5375-533: The Hawaiian Islands first became populated. The turtle symbolizes a navigator that can find his way home time after time. This symbol mirrors the real life of the green Hawaiian turtle as it will swim hundreds of miles to lay its eggs at its own place of birth. Though there are other myths as well, some Hawaiian legends say the honu were the first to guide the Polynesians to the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiians revere

5500-514: The South Atlantic , C. mydas females create 6,000 to 25,000 nests. They are among the largest green turtles in the world; many are more than 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) in length and weigh up to 300 kilograms (660 lb). Sea turtles spend almost all their lives submerged, but must breathe air for the oxygen needed to meet the demands of vigorous activity. With a single explosive exhalation and rapid inhalation, sea turtles can quickly replace

5625-753: The U.S. Virgin Islands , Puerto Rico , the Dominican Republic , and Costa Rica . In recent years, there are signs of increased nesting in the Cayman Islands. One of the region's most important nesting grounds is in Tortuguero in Costa Rica. In fact, the majority of the Caribbean region's C. mydas population hails from a few beaches in Tortuguero. Within United States waters, minor nesting sites have been noted in

5750-460: The 12-mile (19 km) long Lake Windsor (also called Lake Rosa) which occupies nearly a quarter of the interior. The population of Great Inagua is 913 (2010 census). The island's capital and only harbour is Matthew Town, named after George Matthew , a 19th-century Governor of the Bahamas . This town houses the Morton Salt Company ’s main facility, producing one million tonnes of sea salt

5875-430: The Bahamas ahead of the Lucayans, they left no known evidence of occupation. Some possible Ciboney archaeological sites have been found elsewhere in the Bahamas, but the only one subjected to radiocarbon dating dated to the mid- to late-12th century, contemporaneous with Lucayan presence on the islands. Christopher Columbus's diario contains the only contemporaneous observations of the Lucayans. Other information about

6000-485: The Bahamas contain more shell-tempered pottery ("Palmetto Ware"), which developed in the Bahamas. While trade in dugout canoes between Cuba and Long Island was reported by Columbus, this involved a voyage of at least 260 kilometres (160 mi) over open water, although much of that was on the very shallow waters of the Great Bahama Bank . The Taínos probably did not settle in central Cuba until after 1000, and there

6125-556: The Bahamas for hunting: hutias (Taíno utia ), rock iguanas , small lizards, land crabs and birds. While Taínos kept dogs and Muscovy ducks , only dogs were reported by early observers, or found at Lucayan sites. Less than 12% of the meat eaten by Lucayans came from land animals, of which three-quarters came from iguanas and land crabs. More than 80 percent of the meat in the Lucayan diet came from marine fishes, almost all of which grazed on seagrass and/or coral. Sea turtles and marine mammals ( West Indian monk seal and porpoise) provided

6250-624: The Bahamas. Hypothesized routes for the earliest migrations have been from Hispaniola to the Caicos Islands , from Hispaniola or eastern Cuba to Great Inagua Island , and from central Cuba to Long Island in the central Bahamas. The settlement sites in the Caicos Islands differ from those found elsewhere in the Bahamas, resembling sites in Hispaniola associated with the Classic Taíno settlements that arose after 1200. William Keegan argues that

6375-699: The Bolong beach. An annual presence is recorded in the Gulf of Panama, on the Isla Parida island. Local activists also moving some turtle nests to the coast, in the vicinity of the small town of Malena, to save and increase the turtle population in the safe place. Indonesia has a few nesting beaches, one in the Meru Betiri National Reserve in East Java . Off the north-eastern and northern coasts of Australia,

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6500-563: The British HMS Statira in 1815. As early as the 1600s, salt was being produced and shipped to Spanish colonies, and its extraction was a going business by 1803. Henri Christophe , king of northern Haiti from 1811 to 1820, built a summer retreat at the Northeast Point of Great Inagua. Local legend has it that he also buried a cache of gold there. By 1918, after the end of World War I , lower salt prices and competition had driven

6625-471: The Galápagos green turtle have been recorded and observed in the Galápagos as far back as the 17th century by William Dampier . Not much attention has been paid to them due to the overwhelming research done on the Galápagos giant tortoises . Only over the last 30 years have extensive studies been performed covering the behaviors of the Galápagos green turtles. Much of the debate that has surrounded them recently

6750-528: The Hawaiian Islands. In the Philippines , green turtles nest in the Turtle Islands along with closely related hawksbill turtles . In December 2007, fishermen using a hulbot-hulbot (a type of fish net ) accidentally caught an 80 kg (180 lb), 93 cm (37 in) long and 82 cm (32 in) wide turtle off Barangay Bolong, Zamboanga City , Philippines . December is breeding season near

6875-871: The Lucayans, he did note that they traded a type of leaf that they regarded as valuable. Bixa was used to produce a reddish body paint and jagua ( Genipa or Mamoncillo ) for black body paint. Conch shells (pronounced as "konk", known as cobo in Taino ) were a hard material in plentiful supply on the islands. They included several species of conch, including the queen conch and the Atlantic Triton . Lucayans used them to make tools such as canoe gouges, hoes, hammers, picks, net mesh gauges, and fishhooks. They were also made into beads shaped like disks, carved into amulets, and used as inlay for sculptures. Trumpet-like instruments that were played by blowing were also made of conch. A specific term, guamo , existed for trumpets made from

7000-466: The Spanish arrived, and was only a minor component of the Taíno and, presumably, Lucayan diets. The Lucayans grew cotton ( Gossypium barbadense ) and tobacco, and used other plants such as agave, furcraea and hibiscus for fiber in fishing nets. One of Columbus's sailors received 12 kilograms (26 lb) of cotton in trade from a single Lucayan on Guanahani. Although Columbus did not see tobacco in use by

7125-683: The Spanish began capturing Lucayans in the Bahamas for use as laborers in Hispaniola. At first the Lucayans sold for no more than four gold pesos in Hispaniola, but when it was realized that the Lucayans were practiced at diving for conchs , the price rose to 100 to 150 gold pesos and the Lucayans were sent to the Isle of Cubagua as pearl divers . Within two years the southern Bahamas were largely depopulated. The Spanish may have carried away as many as 40,000 Lucayans by 1513. Carl O. Sauer described Ponce de León's 1513 expedition in which he encountered Florida as simply "an extension of slave hunting beyond

7250-660: The Spanish of encountering Indians using bows and arrows was at Samaná Bay in northeastern Hispaniola. One of the few artifacts of Lucayan life that has been found in a variety of areas in the Bahama archipelago is the duho . Duhos are carved seats found in the houses of Taíno caciques or chiefs throughout the Caribbean region. Duhos "figured prominently in the maintenance of Taíno political and ideological systems . . . [and were] . . . literally seats of power, prestige, and ritual." Duhos made of wood and stone have both been found, though those made of wood tend not to last as well as

7375-722: The Spanish to refer to Great Inagua. Between the years of 1500 and 1825, many documented treasure laden ships were destroyed on Inaguan reefs. The two most valuable wrecks lost off the Inaguas were treasure-laden Spanish galleons : the Santa Rosa in 1599; and the Infanta in 1788. Other ships of considerable value that were wrecked there include the French Le Count De Paix in 1713, the British HMS Lowestoffe in 1801, and

7500-652: The Turks and Caicos Islands through Mayaguana and Acklins and Crooked Islands to Long Island and the Great and Little Exuma Islands, and another from Cuba through Great Inagua Island, Little Inagua Island and Ragged Island to Long Island and the Exumas. Granberry and Vescelius also state that around 1200 the Turks and Caicos Islands were resettled from Hispaniola and were thereafter part of the Classical Taíno culture and language area, and no longer Lucayan. The Lucayans were part of

7625-457: The abundance of sea turtles in the waters around the islands. Many of the earliest visitors came to the Cayman Islands to capture the turtles as a source of fresh meat during long voyages. The green turtle is a national symbol displayed as part of the coat of arms of the Cayman Islands , which also forms part of the national flag of the Cayman Islands . The country's currency uses a turtle as

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7750-405: The age of the female. This process takes about an hour to an hour and a half. After the nest is completely covered, she returns to the sea. The female will do this 3 to 5 times in one season. The eggs are round and white, and about 45 mm (1.8 in) in diameter. The hatchlings remain buried for days until they all emerge together at night. The temperature of the nest determines the sex of

7875-436: The air in their lungs. The lungs permit a rapid exchange of oxygen and prevent gases from being trapped during deep dives. Sea turtle blood can deliver oxygen efficiently to body tissues even at the pressures encountered during diving. During routine activity, green and loggerhead turtles dive for about four to five minutes, and surface to breathe for one to three seconds. Turtles can rest or sleep underwater for several hours at

8000-479: The bare open ocean that surround them. These young turtles are rarely seen as they swim in deep, pelagic waters. Green sea turtles typically swim at 2.5–3 km/h (1.6–1.9 mph). As one of the first sea turtle species studied, much of what is known of sea turtle ecology comes from studies of green turtles. The ecology of C. mydas changes drastically with each stage of its life history. Newly emerged hatchlings are carnivorous , pelagic organisms, part of

8125-451: The blades of seagrass, which keeps the grass healthy. Like other sea turtles, green sea turtles migrate long distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches. Many islands worldwide are known as Turtle Island due to green sea turtles nesting on their beaches. Females crawl out on beaches, dig nests, and lay eggs during the night. Later, hatchlings emerge, and scramble into the water. Those that reach maturity may live to 90 years in

8250-774: The complete eradication of the Lucayan people from the Bahamas by 1520. The name "Lucayan" is an Anglicization of the Spanish Lucayos , itself a hispanicization derived from the Lucayan Lukku-Cairi , which the people used for themselves, meaning "people of the islands". The Taíno word for "island", cairi , became cayo in Spanish and " cay " / ˈ k iː / in English [spelled "key" in American English]. Some crania and artifacts of " Ciboney type" were reportedly found on Andros Island , but if some Ciboney did reach

8375-425: The considerably smaller adult size and the much darker pigmentation of the carapace, plastron, and extremities. Other distinctions are the curving of the carapace above each hind flipper, the more dome-shaped carapace, and the very long tail of adult males. Three possibilities have arisen from their unique characteristics: agassizii is a separate species from C. mydas , it is a subspecies of green sea turtle, or it

8500-473: The customs of the Lucayans has come from archaeological investigations and comparison with what is known of Taíno culture in Cuba and Hispaniola. The Lucayans were distinguished from the Taínos of Cuba and Hispaniola in the size of their houses, the organization and location of their villages, the resources they used, and the materials used in their pottery. Sometime between 500 and 800 CE, Taínos began crossing in dugout canoes from Hispaniola and/or Cuba to

8625-547: The east coast of the African continent hosts a few nesting grounds, including islands in the waters around Madagascar . Nesting grounds are found all along the Mexican coast. These turtles feed in seagrass pastures in the Gulf of California . Green turtles belonging to the distinct Hawaiian subpopulation nest at the protected French Frigate Shoals some 800 kilometers (500 mi) west of

8750-399: The egg in the nest also affects sex-determination. Eggs in the center tend to hatch as females due to the warmer conditions within the nest. Green sea turtles play an essential role in the ecosystem in which they live. In the seagrass beds, the turtles feed on the seagrass by trimming only the top and leaving the roots of the plant. Through their feeding technique, the turtles help to improve

8875-477: The empty islands." When the Spanish decided to traffic the remaining Lucayans to Hispaniola in 1520, they could find only eleven in all of the Bahamas. Thereafter the Bahamas remained uninhabited for 130 years. In 2018, researchers successfully extracted DNA from a tooth found in a burial context in Preacher's Cave on Eleuthera Island. The tooth was directly dated to around 776–992 AD. Genetic analysis revealed that

9000-461: The end of his first voyage. Vespucci took 232 Lucayans to Spain as slaves in 1500. Spanish exploitation of the labor of the natives of Hispaniola rapidly reduced that population, leading the Governor of Hispaniola to complain to the Spanish crown. After Columbus's death, Ferdinand II of Aragon ordered in 1509 that Indians be imported from nearby islands to make up the population losses in Hispaniola, and

9125-446: The expansion proceeded to Eleuthera , from which New Providence and Andros to the west and Great and Little Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama to the north were reached. Lucayan village sites are also known on Mayaguana , east of Acklins Island, and Samana Cay , north of Acklins. There are village sites on East , Middle and North Caicos and on Providenciales , in the Caicos Islands, at least some of which Keegan attributes to

9250-448: The eyes are spherical and adjusted to refraction underwater. Sea turtles have no external ear and only one ear bone, called the columella. With one ear bone, the turtles can hear only low frequency sounds, from 200 to 700 Hz. Sounds can also be detected through vibrations of the head, backbone, and shell. The nose of the turtle has two external openings and connects to the roof of the mouth through internal openings. The lower surface of

9375-461: The females by having a longer tail (visibly extending past the shell) and longer claws on the front flippers. The hatching time and sex of the turtles are determined by the incubation temperature of the nest. Hatchings occur more quickly in nests that are warmer than nests that are in cooler conditions. Warm nesting sites above 30 degrees Celsius favor the development of females, whereas nesting sites below 30 degrees Celsius produce males. The position of

9500-444: The flesh of sea turtles a culinary delicacy, including and especially C. mydas . Particularly for this species, the turtle's fat , cartilage , and flesh, known as calipee , are sought as ingredients for making turtle soup , a popular 19th-century English and American dish. In Java , Indonesia , sea turtle eggs were a popular delicacy. However, the turtle's flesh is regarded as ḥarām or "unclean" under Islamic law ( Islam

9625-411: The globe in warm tropical to subtropical waters. The environmental parameter that limits the distribution of the turtles is ocean temperatures below 7 to 10 degrees Celsius. Within their geographical range, the green sea turtles generally stay near continental and island coastlines. Near the coastlines, the green sea turtles live within shallow bays and protected shores. In these protected shores and bays,

9750-423: The green sea turtle habitats include coral reefs, salt marshes, and nearshore seagrass beds. The coral reefs provide red, brown, and green algae for their diet and give protection from predators and rough storms within the ocean. The salt marshes and seagrass beds contain seaweed and grass vegetation, allowing ample habitat for the sea turtles. Turtles spend most of their first five years in convergence zones within

9875-452: The health and growth of the seagrass beds. The healthy seagrass beds that the turtles provide give habitat and feeding grounds for many species of fish and crustaceans. On the nesting beaches, the green sea turtles provide key nutrients for the ecosystem through their hatched egg shells. In their coral reef habitat, the green sea turtles have a symbiotic interaction with reef fish, including the yellow tang. The yellow tang fish swims along with

10000-554: The island was "a very long way". Keegan interprets this description to fit the Acklins/Crooked Islands group, with a ship in the west side being able to see the western shore of Acklins Island across the very shallow waters of the Bight of Acklins, where there was a village that stretched about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) along the shore. Amerigo Vespucci spent almost four months in the Bahamas in 1499 to 1500. His log of that time

10125-592: The island. Little Inagua has a large protective reef extending up to 1 mile (1,600 m) away from the island in all directions, which prevents boats from coming too close. The island is part of the MICAL constituency for elections to the House of Assembly of the Bahamas . 21°13′04″N 73°15′05″W  /  21.21778°N 73.25139°W  / 21.21778; -73.25139 Lucayan people The Lucayan people ( / l uː ˈ k aɪ ən / loo- KY -ən ) were

10250-438: The islands to be near them. Women past puberty wore a small skirt of cotton, and the men might wear a loincloth made of plaited leaves or cotton. Some people wore head bands, waist bands, feathers, bones and ear and nose jewelry on occasion. They were often tattooed and usually applied paint to their bodies and/or faces. They also practiced head flattening . Their hair was black and straight, and they kept it cut short except for

10375-725: The larger sharks feed on C. mydas adults. Specifically, tiger sharks ( Galeocerdo cuvier ) hunt adults in Hawaiian waters. The tiger shark is the main predator of the green turtle as it will prey on green turtles of all sizes. The tiger shark has often been seen feeding on green turtles near their nesting beaches because they are restricted in the area of their nesting beaches and vulnerable to predation. Juveniles and new hatchlings have significantly more predators, including crabs , small marine mammals and shorebirds . Additionally, their eggs are vulnerable to predation by scavengers like red foxes and golden jackals . Green sea turtles have

10500-407: The largest known C. mydas having weighed 395 kg (871 lb) and measured 153 cm (60 in) in carapace length. Anatomically, a few characteristics distinguish the green turtle from the other members of its family. Unlike its close relative the hawksbill turtle , the green turtle's snout is very short and its beak is unhooked. The neck cannot be pulled into the shell. The sheath of

10625-476: The largest snail available, the Atlantic Triton. These were used, similarly to church bells, to call people into action as well as for religious rites. The Lucayans carved canoes, spears, bowls and ceremonial stools from wood. Stone chopping, cutting and scraping tools were imported from Cuba or Haiti. Most pottery was of the type called "Palmetto Ware", including "Abaco Redware" and "Crooked Island Ware". This

10750-446: The magnetic crystals in their brains. Through these crystals, they can sense the intensity of Earth's magnetic field and are able to make their way back to their nesting grounds or preferred feeding grounds. Natal homing is an animal's ability to return to its birthplace in order to reproduce. Natal homing is found in all species of sea turtles and in other animals such as salmon. How these turtles are able to return to their birthplace

10875-460: The method which sea turtles use to navigate the earth. In order to tolerate the constant heat loss in the water, sea turtles have the ability to shunt blood away from tissues that are tolerant of low oxygen levels toward the heart, brain, and central nervous system. Other mechanisms include basking on warm beaches and producing heat through their activity and movements of their muscles. Basking turtles sometimes look like they are crying because behind

11000-475: The more elaborate political structures in Hispaniola, and their language and culture showed differences, but they remained Taínos, although a "hinterland" of the wider Taíno world. The Lucayans were connected to a Caribbean-wide trade network. Columbus observed trade carried between Long Island and Cuba by dugout canoe. A piece of jadeite found on San Salvador Island appears to have originated in Guatemala , based on

11125-485: The most notable nesting grounds for Chelonia mydas are found on the island of Ascension , hosts 6,000–13,000 turtle nests. In the Pacific , its range reaches as far north as the southern coast of Alaska and as far south as Chile in the east. The turtle's distribution in the western Pacific reaches north to Japan and southern parts of Russia 's Pacific coast, and as far south as the northern tip of New Zealand and

11250-562: The nasal passage has two sets of sensory cells called the Jacobson's organ. The turtle can use this organ to smell by pumping water in and out of its nose. Since green sea turtles migrate long distances during breeding seasons, they have special adaptive systems in order to navigate. In the open ocean, the turtles navigate using wave directions, sun light, and temperatures. The sea turtles also contain an internal magnetic compass. They can detect magnetic information by using magnetic forces acting on

11375-418: The necessary components for their nesting to be successful. These include a sandy beach, easy access for the hatchlings to get to the ocean, the right incubation temperatures, and low probability of predators that may feed on their eggs. Over time these turtles have evolved these tendencies to return to an area that has provided reproductive success for many generations. Their ability to return to their birthplace

11500-559: The north, reflecting the progressively shorter time of occupation of the northern islands. Known Lucayan settlement sites are confined to the nineteen largest islands in the archipelago, or to smaller cays located less than one kilometre from those islands. Keegan posits a north-ward migration route from Great Inagua Island to Acklins and Crooked Islands , then on to Long Island. From Long Island expansion would have gone east to Rum Cay and San Salvador Island , north to Cat Island and west to Great and Little Exuma Islands. From Cat Island

11625-469: The ocean. Little is known of the initial life history of newly hatched sea turtles. Juveniles spend three to five years in the open ocean before they settle as still-immature juveniles into their permanent shallow-water lifestyle. It is speculated that they take twenty to fifty years to reach sexual maturity . Individuals live up to eighty years in the wild. It is estimated that only 1% of hatchlings reach sexual maturity. Each year on Ascension Island in

11750-563: The open ocean mini nekton . In contrast, immature juveniles and adults are commonly found in seagrass meadows closer inshore as herbivorous grazers. The diet of green turtles changes with age. Juveniles are carnivorous, but as they mature they become omnivorous. Young sea turtles eat fish and their eggs , sea hare eggs, hydrozoans , bryozoans , molluscs , jellyfish , small invertebrates , echinoderms , tunicates , insects , worms , sponges , algae , sea grasses , leaves , tree bark , and crustaceans . Green sea turtles have

11875-605: The original residents of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands before the European colonisation of the Americas. They were a branch of the Taínos who inhabited most of the Caribbean islands at the time. The Lucayans were the first Indigenous Americans encountered by Christopher Columbus . Shortly after contact, the Spanish kidnapped and enslaved Lucayans with the displacement culminating in

12000-424: The period have been found on San Salvador, the Caicos Islands, Long Island, Little Exuma, Acklins Island, Conception Island and Samaná Cay. Such finds, however, do not prove that Spaniards visited those islands, as trade among Lucayans could have distributed the artifacts. Columbus kidnapped several Lucayans on San Salvador and Santa María de la Concepción. Two fled, but Columbus took some Lucayans back to Spain at

12125-563: The population's known range. One of the genetic differences between the two subpopulations is the type of mitochondrial DNA found in individual's cells. Individuals from rookeries in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea have a similar type of mitochondrial DNA, and individuals from the Pacific and Indian Oceans have another type of mitochondrial DNA. Their native range includes tropical to subtropical waters along continental coasts and islands between 30°N and 30°S. Since green sea turtles are

12250-571: The power structure status quo . In August 1937, a riot broke out, an employee was killed, and the Ericksons were forced to flee. They soon returned, and full-scale development resumed. In the mid-1950s, Morton Salt bought the Great Inagua saltworks, which includes over 80 salt ponds , now the second largest such operation in North America . Morton is the major employer on the island. Great Inagua

12375-403: The same sleeping location night after night. Green sea turtles tend to have good vision, well adapted to a life at sea. The turtles can see many colors, but are most sensitive to light from violet to yellow or wavelengths of 400 to 600 nanometers. They do not see many colors in the orange to red portion of the light spectrum. On land, however, the sea turtles are nearsighted because the lenses in

12500-449: The sites on Caicos therefore represent a colonization after 1200 by Taínos from Hispaniola seeking salt from the natural salt pans on the island. Great Inagua is closer to both Hispaniola, at 90 kilometres (56 mi), and Cuba, at 80 kilometres (50 mi), than any other island in the Bahamas, and sites on Great Inagua contain large quantities of sand- tempered pottery imported from Cuba and/or Hispaniola, while sites on other islands in

12625-504: The small producers on Great Inagua out of business, and the salt works were abandoned except for incidental local use. In 1935, the Erickson brothers from Massachusetts founded West India Chemicals Ltd., purchasing the abandoned salt works from the British government. They drilled test holes, set up offices, and began restoration of the buildings, but the locals felt threatened, fearing changes to

12750-437: The spirits and the objects that represent spirits. They include fruitfulness spirits Yocahu , the male giver of manioc, and Attabeira, the mother goddess. Attending to them were the twin spirits Maquetaurie Guayaba, the lord of the dead, and Guabancex, the mistress of the hurricane. The twin spirits were also attended to by sets of twins. During arieto ceremonies, food was offered to the zemi, and shamans (behique) would give

12875-492: The states of Georgia , North Carolina , and South Carolina . Florida 's east coast is the largest nesting site in the United States. Hutchinson Island in particular is a major nesting area in Florida waters. Florida has several annual nesting periods when local beaches are closed or cordoned off to protect nesting sites. According to Green Sea Turtle Watch, in 2015 more than 37,000 green sea turtle nests were documented in Florida,

13000-585: The stone chairs and are, therefore, much rarer. There are intact wooden duhos in the collections of the Musée de l'Homme in Paris and British Museum in London (the latter found on the island of Eleuthera ). The Taino pantheon of cemís, also known as zemís, play an active role in the lives of humans, and distinguish between the cultural, pleasing human theme and the anti-cultural, nonhuman, foul theme. The term refers to both

13125-481: The surviving farm became primarily a tourist attraction, supporting 11,000 turtles. Initially started as Mariculture Ltd., then Cayman Turtle Farm Ltd and subsequently branded Boatswain's Beach, in 2010 the farm's brandname was changed to Cayman Turtle Farm: Island Wildlife Encounter. Sea turtles are integral to the history and culture of the Cayman Islands . When the islands were first discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1503, he named them "Las Tortugas" because of

13250-527: The tooth belonged to a woman. When compared against contemporary populations, the ancient individual shows closest genetic affinity to Arawakan speakers from the Amazon and Orinoco Basins , with closest affinity to the Palikur . The individual was assigned to mtDNA Haplogroup B2 . Lucayan society was based on descent through the mother's line , which was typical of Taíno culture as a whole. The Spanish reported that

13375-437: The top to let smoke out. Columbus described the houses of the Lucayans as clean and well-swept. The houses were furnished with cotton nets (some kind of hammocks) for beds and furnishings, and were used mainly for sleeping. Each house sheltered an extended family. There are no surviving reports of the size of Lucayan houses, but estimates of about 20 people per house in Taíno communities in pre-contact Cuba are cited by Keegan as

13500-405: The tropics, green turtles nest throughout the year, although some subpopulations prefer particular times of the year. In Pakistan , Indian Ocean turtles nest year-round, but prefer the months of July to December. Sea turtles return to the beaches on which they were born to lay their own eggs. The reason for returning to native beaches may be that it guarantees the turtles an environment that has

13625-490: The turtle and feeds on the algae, barnacles, and parasites on its shell and flippers. This species interaction provides food for the yellow tang and provides a necessary cleaning and smoothing of the turtle's shell. This cleaning helps the turtles swim by reducing the amount of drag and improves their health. Historically, the turtles' skin was tanned and used to make handbags , especially in Hawaii . Ancient Chinese considered

13750-570: The turtle population is fibropapilloma , which produces lethal tumor growth on scales, lungs, stomach, and kidneys. Fibropapilloma is caused by a herpesvirus that is transmitted by leeches such as Ozobranchus branchiatus , a species of leech which feeds almost entirely on green sea turtles. Green sea turtles migrate long distances between feeding sites and nesting sites; some swim more than 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) to reach their spawning grounds. Beaches in Southeast Asia, India, islands in

13875-469: The turtle's plastron is hued yellow. C. mydas limbs are dark-colored and lined with yellow, and are usually marked with a large dark brown spot in the center of each appendage. The range of the green sea turtle extends throughout tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. The two major subpopulations are the Atlantic and the eastern Pacific subpopulations. Each population is genetically distinct, with its own set of nesting and feeding grounds within

14000-474: The turtle's upper jaw possesses a denticulated edge, while its lower jaw has stronger, serrated, more defined denticulation. The dorsal surface of the turtle's head has a single pair of prefrontal scales. Its carapace is composed of five central scutes flanked by four pairs of lateral scutes. Underneath, the green turtle has four pairs of inframarginal scutes covering the area between the turtle's plastron and its shell. Mature C. mydas front appendages have only

14125-481: The turtle. Its name comes from the greenish color of the turtles' fat, which is only found in a layer between their inner organs and their shell. As a species found worldwide, the green turtle has many local names. In the Hawaiian language it is called honu , and it is locally known as a symbol of good luck and longevity. Its appearance is that of a typical sea turtle . C. mydas has a dorsoventrally flattened body,

14250-456: The turtles at around the 20–40 day mark. Green Sea Turtles are type 1a, meaning males develop at cooler temperatures while females are produced under hot temperatures. At around 50 to 70 days, the eggs hatch during the night, and the hatchlings instinctively head directly into the water. This is the most dangerous time in a turtle's life. As they walk, predators, such as gulls and crabs , feed on them. A significant percentage never make it to

14375-474: The turtles eye is the lachrymal gland which stores excess salt from the sea water, which then expels through the turtles eye. In the winter months, turtles living at higher latitudes can hibernate for a short period in the mud. Green sea turtles can reach up to 40 miles per hour when swimming, making them the fastest sea turtle. The green sea turtles exhibit sex differences by their development and appearance. As adult turtles, males are easily distinguishable from

14500-541: The watermark in its banknotes. A stylised sea turtle nicknamed "Sir Turtle" is the mascot of the national airline Cayman Airways and is part of the livery of its aircraft. A ki'i pōhaku ( petroglyph ) of a green sea turtle (or honu) can be found on the Big Island of Hawaii in the Pu'u Loa lava fields. The green sea turtle has always held a special meaning for Hawaiians and this petroglyph shows its importance; it may date to when

14625-473: The western Pacific, and Central America are where green sea turtles breed. Mature turtles often return to the exact beach from which they hatched. Females usually mate every two to four years. Males, on the other hand, visit the breeding areas every year, attempting to mate. Mating seasons vary between populations. For most C. mydas in the Caribbean , mating season is from June to September. The French Guiana nesting subpopulation nests from March to June. In

14750-688: The wild. C. mydas is listed as endangered by the IUCN and CITES and is protected from exploitation in most countries. It is illegal to collect, harm, or kill them. In addition, many countries have laws and ordinances to protect nesting areas. However, turtles are still in danger due to human activity. In some countries, turtles and their eggs are still hunted for food. Pollution indirectly harms turtles at both population and individual scales. Many turtles die after being caught in fishing nets. In addition, real estate development often causes habitat loss by eliminating nesting beaches. The green sea turtle

14875-419: The windward side wherever tidal creeks provided some protected shoreline. The Lucayans grew root crops and hunted, fished and gathered wild foods. At least half of the diet came from plant foods. The staple crop of the Lucayans was manioc ( cassava ), followed by sweet potato. Sweet manioc was eaten like sweet potato, by peeling and boiling. Bitter manioc, which has a dangerous amount of hydrogen cyanide ,

15000-465: The world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans , but it is also found in the Indian Ocean . The common name refers to the usually green fat found beneath its carapace , due to its diet strictly being seagrass, not to the color of its carapace, which is olive to black. The dorsoventrally flattened body of C. mydas is covered by a large, teardrop-shaped carapace; it has

15125-547: The year. In the United States Atlantic coast, green sea turtles can be found from Texas and north to Massachusetts. In the United States Pacific coast, they have been found from southern California north to the southernmost tip of Alaska. The largest populations of green sea turtles within the United States coastline are in the Hawaiian Islands and Florida . Globally, the largest populations of sea turtles are in

15250-421: Was called Guanahani by the Lucayans, and San Salvador by the Spanish. The identity of the first American landfall by Columbus remains contested, but many authors accept Samuel E. Morison 's identification of what was later called Watling (or Watling's) Island as Columbus' San Salvador. The former Watling Island was officially renamed San Salvador in 1925. Luis Marden 's identification of Samaná Key as Guanahani

15375-512: Was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae as Testudo mydas . In 1868, Marie Firmin Bocourt named a particular species of sea turtle Chelonia agassizii , in honor of Swiss-American zoologist Louis Agassiz . This "species" was referred to as the "black sea turtle". Later research determined Bocourt's "black sea turtle" was not genetically distinct from C. mydas , and thus taxonomically not

15500-431: Was prepared by peeling, grinding, and mashing. The mash was then filtered through a basket tube to remove the hydrogen cyanide as a poisonous juice. The filtered mash was dried and sieved for flour, which was used to make pancake-like bread cooked on a flat clay griddle. The poisonous hydrogen cyanide juice was boiled, which released the poison, and the liquid base mixed with chili peppers , vegetables, meat, and fish to make

15625-614: Was produced in the islands using local red clay soils tempered with burnt conch shells. Palmetto Ware pottery was usually undecorated. There are no known differences that can be used to date or sequence Palmetto Ware pottery. Some (usually less than one percent of collected sherds in most of the Bahamas, about ten percent in the Caicos Islands) sand-tempered pottery was imported from Cuba and/or Haiti. The Lucayans made fish hooks from bone or shell and harpoon points from bone. The Lucayans probably did not use bows and arrows. The first mention by

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