From the archive record
Remains of Olive ridley Turtle, with a dog ambling by and digging into the putrefying flesh of this rare sea turtle. The bones lie scattered along the pristine beach in Orissa, India. The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), also known as the Pacific ridley, is a species of sea turtle. The olive ridley is predominantly carnivorous, especially in immature stages of the life cycle. Animal prey consists of protochordates or invertebrates, which can be caught in shallow marine waters or estuarine habitats. Common prey items include jellyfish, tunicates, sea urchins, bryozoans, bivalves, snails, shrimp, crabs, rock lobsters, and sipunculid worms. Additionally, consumption of jellyfish and both adult fish (e.g. Sphoeroides) and fish eggs may be indicative of pelagic (open ocean) feed