| Diagnosis |
The olive ridley turtle has a slightly deeper body than the Kemp’s ridley. In adults; carapace nearly round; upturned on the lateral margins; flat on top; its width 90 percent of its length (Straight Curved Length (SCL)). Head: subtriangular; moderate-sized; averaging 22.4 percent of straight carapace length (SCL). Hatchlings: relatively bigger heads (39 percent SCL); longer carapaces (width 78 percent SCL); flippers comparatively bigger than in adults. In 3-year old juveniles: the carapace width, 93 percent of SCL; head length, 26 percent of SCL. Scales and scutes: same configuration as in the Kemp’s ridley; but the lateral scutes are often more than five pairs; the first pair is always in touch with the precentral scute. Also has openings of the Rathke’s glands on the plastral bridges; through a pore on the rear part of each inframarginal scute Fore flippers with 1 or 2 visible claws on the anterior border; sometimes another small claw in the distal part; rear flippers also with 2 claws. Males: larger more strongly curved claws; as well as a longer tail. Color: adults, plain olive-grey above; creamy or whitish; with pale grey margins underneath. Newborn hatchlings: when wet; almost completely black; sometimes with greenish sides; in general, become dark grey after drying. With growth; they change to grey dorsally and white underneath. |