Olive Ridley Turtle

Why in NEWS ?

• The Forest Department in Ramanathapuram district Tamil Nadu rescued an adult Olive Ridley turtle that was caught in a fishing net and released it into the Palk Bay at Panaikulam seashore.

About

• The nesting season for Olive Ridley turtles starts by December.
• The mating of these turtles happen two months prior to the nesting.
• So, it is common to find turtles within one km from the shore during this time of the year.
• It is because of this reason that turtles often get entangled in the fishing net during this period.

The Olive Ridley Turtles

• These are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
• These turtles are carnivores and get their name from their olive colored carapace.
• They are found in warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
• They migrate thousands of kilometers between feeding and mating grounds in the course of a year.
• They are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
• They lay their eggs over a period of five to seven days in conical nests about one and a half feet deep which they dig with their hind flippers.

Protection Status

• These are placed Vulnerable in IUCN Red List.
• Appendix I in CITES
• Schedule I status in Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972