Species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae
Olive ridley sea turtle
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Olive ridley sea turtle at Kélonia, an aquarium in Saint-Leu, Réunion
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Scientific classification
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Domain:
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Eukaryota
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Kingdom:
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Animalia
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Phylum:
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Chordata
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Class:
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Reptilia
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Order:
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Testudines
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Suborder:
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Cryptodira
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Superfamily:
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Chelonioidea
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Family:
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Cheloniidae
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Genus:
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Lepidochelys
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Species:
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L. olivacea
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Binomial name
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Lepidochelys olivacea
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Synonyms[3]
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- ? Testudo mydas minor
Suckow, 1758 (nomen suppressum)
- Chelonia multiscutata
Kuhl, 1820 (nomen oblitum et suppressum)
- Chelonia olivacea
Eschscholtz, 1829
- Chelonia caretta var. olivacea
— Gray, 1831
- Chelonia dussumierii
A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1835
- Caretta olivacea
— Rüppell, 1835
- Thalassochelys (Lepidochelys) olivacea
— Fitzinger, 1843
- Caouana olivacea
— Gray, 1844
- Caouana ruppellii
Gray, 1844 (nomen nudum)
- Chelonia subcarinata
Rüppell, 1844 (nomen nudum)
- Caouana dessumierii [sic]
A. Smith, 1849 (ex errore)
- Chelonia dussumieri [sic]
Agassiz, 1857 (ex errore)
- Chelonia polyaspis
Bleeker, 1857 (nomen nudum)
- Lepidochelys dussumieri
— Girard, 1858
- Lepidochelys olivacea
— Girard, 1858
- Chelonia dubia
Bleeker, 1864 (nomen nudum)
- Cephalochelys oceanica
Gray, 1873 (nomen nudum)
- Cephalochelys oceanica
Gray, 1873
- Thalassiochelys tarapacona
Philippi, 1887
- Thalassochelys tarapacana [sic]
Philippi, 1887 (ex errore)
- Thalassochelys tarapacona
— Boulenger, 1889
- Chelonia olivaccea [sic]
Velasco, 1892 (ex errore)
- Thalassochelys controversa
Philippi, 1899
- Caretta remivaga
O.P. Hay, 1908
- Caretta caretta var. olivacea
— Deraniyagala, 1930
- Lepidochelys olivacea olivacea
— Deraniyagala, 1943
- Caretta olivacea olivacea
— Mertens, 1952
- Lepidochelys olivacea remivaga
— Schmidt, 1953
- Caouana rueppellii [sic]
Wermuth & Mertens, 1961 (ex errore)
- Lepidochelis olivacea
— Tamayo, 1962
- Lepidochelys olivaceas [sic]
Kesteven, 1969 (ex errore)
- Chelonia multicustata [sic]
Márquez, 1990 (ex errore)
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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[4][5] and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world. L. olivacea is found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but also in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.[4]
This turtle and the related Kemp's ridley sea turtle are best known for their unique synchronised mass nestings called arribadas, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.[4][5]