Description of the Olive Ridley Turtle
(Lepidochelys olivacea)
Colouration*HeadLimbsCarapacePlastronWeightDistribution

*source: Pritchard & Mortimier (1999)


Two claws on each flipper (some adults may lose the secondary claw on the front flippers).
Short and wide, but narrower and higher than in L. kempii; high vertebral projections in juveniles; carapace smooth but elevated and somewhat tectiform (tent-shaped) in adults (especially in the East Pacific); five to nine pairs of costal scutes (usually six to eight) often with asymmetrical configuration; carapace scutes slightly overlapping in juveniles, non-overlapping in adults; straight carapace length (SCL) to 72 cm.



Typically 35-50 kg.
Tropical waters of Pacific, Indian and South Atlantic Ocean.