Classification of Chelonia mydas
Domain: Life
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Cheloniidae
Genus: Chelonia
Species: Chelonia mydas
Kingdom - Animalia
Chelonia mydas is a member of the Animalia kingdom because it is
multicellular, heterotrophic, and possesses a digestive tract.
Phylum - Chordata
Members
of the Phylum Chordata possess a notochord, nerve cord, and visceral
clefts and arches which Chelonia mydas contains and is therefore a
member of this phylum.
Class - Reptilia
Chelonia mydas is a member of the class Reptilia
for multiple reasons such as lacking an aquatic larval stage and lay
eggs with an amniotic membrane that allows the embryo to breathe on
land.
Order - Testudines
Order Testudines contains Chelonia mydas because of its bony or
cartilaginous shell. This order contains all extant and extinct turtle
species.
Family - Cheloniidae
The family Cheloniidae contains sea turtles.
Genus - Chelonia
Chelonia mydas
is the only sea turtle species in the genus Chelonia.
Species - Chelonia mydas
Chelonia mydas was first described by Carl
Linnaeus in 1758. Chelonia, from Chelonia, is derived from the
Greek word chelōnē which means 'tortoise.' Mydas is
derived from the Greek word mydaus which means 'to be damp.'
When these two words are used together, they describe a tortoise from
water.