Common name: Green Turtle

Scientific name: Chelonia mydas

Local name: Penyu Agar

The appearance of the green turtle is that of a typical sea turtle. Chelonia mydas has a dorsoventrally-flattened body, a beaked head at the end of a short neck, and paddle-like arms well-adapted for swimming. Adult green turtles are known to grow up to one-and-a-half metres long. While individuals have been caught that reached weights of up to 315 kilograms (694lb), the average weight of mature individuals is around 200 kilograms (440lb).

In Malaysia, the green turtle is more widely distributed, nesting primarily in Sabah (Pulau Sipadan) and Sarawak Turtle Islands. These turtles also nest in Terengganu (mainly in Kemaman, Kerteh, Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Redang), Pahang (Chendor and Cherating) and Perak (Pantai Remis).

The green turtle is a very popular food in some restaurants because of its greenish fat, a result of a diet comprised largely of seaweed and algae. Despite their being carnivorous in the early stages of their lives, they subsequently switch to their adult herbivorous diet.

Green turtle numbers are mainly threatened by accidental capture by fishing industries, illegal egg collection, loss of nesting habitats due to beach erosion, coastal development and marine pollution.