Olive Ridley Turtles

The Olive ridley turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea, is similar to the Kemp's ridley, but it has a thinner shell, and a smaller, more lightly built skull. The upper shell is generally higher than the Kemp's ridley and has a greater variation in the number of scutes.

The shell of an Olive ridley turtle is heart-shaped to round, and may be grey-brown, black or olive in color. As adults, Kemp's and Olive ridleys are the smallest of the sea turtles. They weigh as much as 45 kilograms (100 pounds), with shells generally between 0.6-0.8 meters (24 and 30 inches) long.

Both eggs and adults are being heavily exploited. Olive ridleys in Mexico have been overharvested for international trade with Japan. There is evidence that the turtles are often being captured in shrimp trawls and gill nets.

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Materials published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were used to create this page about olive ridley turtles.