Page 40 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2021

LEISURE
CLASSIFICATION
CLASS: Reptilia
ORDER: Testudines
FAMILY: Cheloniidae
GENUS: Chelonia
SPECIES: C. mydas
• Banner was rescued in Florida after su ering injuries
from a propeller boat strike. He spent ve years
recovering at the Florida Aquarium.
• He has since completely healed from his injuries, however as a result of
the incident, he still occasionally oats with his hind end up. Because of
this, he was deemed non-releasable.
• Banner gets his name from the character Bruce Banner, aka the
Incredible Hulk!
• Banner now thrives in our Oceans Habitat, where he lives with stingrays,
sharks, eels, and over one thousand teleosts or ray- nned sh.
• When you visit Banner at the Aquarium, he is often found sleeping at
the bottom of the habitat. This is normal, however, it does look strange, as his rear end oats due to his boat strike injury. No need to worry, Banner has the capability of holding his breath for up to 4 to 7 hours and his caretakers ensure he does not miss a meal.
Want to meet Banner in person?
Visit him at
Mississippi Aquarium! You can nd Banner and his friends in the Aquarium’s Aquatic Wonders building.
2100 E. Beach Blvd., Gulfport 228.241.1300 www.msaquarium.org
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Banner the green sea turtle.
Green Sea Turtle
Fun Facts
• Green sea turtles are the only sea turtles to be herbivores as adults. They feed mainly on seagrasses and algae.
• Sea turtles cannot leave their shells. It is a part of their skeleton, making up the ribs and backbone.
• Like all turtles the green sea turtle does not have teeth. Instead, they have ridges on their beaks to help them scrape algae o of rocks.