The olive and kemp’s ridley sea turtles are the smallest species, growing only to about 70 cm (just over 2 feet) in shell length and weighing up to 45 kg (100 lbs). They are currently the most abundant of all sea turtles. DESCRIPTION: The Kemp's ridley turtle is one of the smallest of the sea turtles, with adults reaching about 2 feet in length and weighing up to about 100 pounds. Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea. Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Recovery - U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service resources for information on the Olive Ridley sea turtle and its recovery. Also like the Kemp’s Ridley, they are found in tropical and subtropical distribution around the world. The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae.The species is the second smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world. It has a gray-green heart-shaped shell. They get their name from the coloring of their heart-shaped shell, which starts out gray but becomes olive green once the turtles are adults. The carapace (shell) is broad and heart-shaped, usually with six or more costal scales. Common Name: Olive ridley – named for its olive green colored shell. Description: Head is quite small. Declines in olive ridley populations have been observed attributed to commercial harvesting of adult turtles and eggs, incidental capture by commercial fisheries, particularly trawl fisheries, and coastal development resulting in a loss of nesting habitat. Their head is large and massive. Olive Ridley Sea Turtle is the smallest turtle and most abundant of all marine turtles. The olive ridley is the most abundant of the sea turtles. They are typically found in the tropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The Olive Ridley sea turtle, also known as Pacific Ridley sea turtle is one of the smallest sea turtle species in the world, very similar in size to the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii).As its name indicates, it is a turtle with a greenish appearance in its anatomy. Olive ridley turtles are grey or olive-grey above, usually without any conspicuous markings and whitish below. The carapace usually has five pairs of costal scutes. The olive ridley is the most abundant sea turtle in the world. The coast of Orissa in India is the largest mass nesting site for the Olive-ridley, followed by the coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica. One of the species of sea turtle that people often know about is the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle.They are quite a bit smaller than other species of sea turtles and they are only around 110 pounds when they are full grown. The olive ridley turtle is named for the generally greenish color of its skin and shell, or carapace. Learn more about what makes this group of species so unique below. It is named so basically due to its greenish shade on both its skin and its carapace or shell. The skin of the turtle is olive gray and the distinguishing feature between male and female turtles is that the male's tail extends past the carapace while the female's does not. Green turtle hatchling – 5 cm long. Information About Sea Turtles: Olive Ridley Sea Turtle. They are named for their pale green carapace, or shell and are the most abundant of sea turtle species. The principal causes of the decline is long-term harvesting of eggs and adults on nesting beaches and accidental capture in fishing gear. Closely related to Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, the Olive Ridley also prefer shallow soft-bottomed ocean habitats. Olive ridleys are the most common turtles. The Olive Ridley Turtle is a large sea turtle that can weigh as much as 45 kg (100 lbs) and have a length of up to 75 cm (30 in). They have one to two visible claws on each of their paddle-like flippers. 2007 Endangered Species Act (ESA) Five-Year Review The olive ridley turtle is named for the generally greenish color of its skin and shell, or carapace. Carapace is bony without ridges and has large scutes (scales) present. Do you have additional facts about the olive ridley sea turtle you want to share? Please, do so in the comment box below. Some interesting Olive Ridley sea turtle facts. The second smallest after the Kemp’s ridley, the olive ridley turtles weigh between 75-100 pounds (34 - 45 kg) and reach 2-2 ½ feet (roughly .6 m) in length.