Posted on: 2018-04-13 10:30:52
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Recent turtle news we found interesting.
Springtime means turtles! Sea turtles, & terrapins, & all kinds of turtles. So keep an eye out for turtles of all kinds & sizes.
Of course there’s the usual rescues & releases. But also some little cuties in head-start programs, an exciting find in Vietnam, and more turtle smuggler caught.
Plus much more.
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Recent Box Turtle News
No new box turtle news this week. Enjoy this beauty instead.
Recent U. S. Turtle News
The turtles are coming! So communities are asking people to watch where they step, use turtle-friendly lighting, and just be kind to our turtle-ly awesome fellow creatures.
Speaking of being kind, one woman went above & beyond for one little turtle in the road. Meanwhile Alabama has plans for helping sea turtles and other marine life. And it could be a good year for sea turtle nests.
Plus more.
Springtime means turtles
It’s diamondback terrapin season! In Virginia Beach, anyway. Late-hatching babies are coming out of their nests (where they spent the winter) and heading for the river. Moms are making the opposite journey. Leaving the river to lay nests. So watch where you step!
And a group of students got a front-row seat … They were on a field trip when they found the baby terrapins. They corralled the adorable critters for a short video, then released them at the shoreline. (Virginia)
Keeping sea turtles off the road: Parts of Sea Oats Beach don’t have much sand left, and nesting sea turtles looking for sand could keep crawling right up onto the roadway. But a new fence, anchored by sandbags, will hopefully stop them. (Florida)
Will 2018 be a good year for sea turtle nests? Researchers at Mote Marine Laboratory think it could be a record-breaking year. Let’s hope so!
Rescues & Releases
In the right place at the right time: Not the turtle. Poor Crush got … well, crushed when a car ran her over. But a former vet tech saw it and took the turtle home. A layer of Bondo, some heat lamps, and some fish have done wonders, and the little turtle who managed to be both lucky and unlucky at the same time seems to be doing well.
Unhooking a sea turtle: It’s not an easy thing to do, as this video shows. Handling sea turtles is usually illegal, but it’s ok if you’re trying to help it. Even so, calling the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s hotline may be better.
From paralyzed to ready for release: It took 2 years, but Harbor the sea turtle has gone back home to the sea.
Miscellaneous turtle news
Marine life restoration projects in Alabama: The state is using some of the money from BP’s fines for the Deepwater Horizon spill to help restore habitats the spill destroyed. The plans include benefits for sea turtles.
Head-starting endangered turtles: Students at the Bristol County Agricultural High school are getting real world experience in turtle conservation. They’re helping raise Blanding’s turtles, wood turtles, and Plymouth red-bellied cooters. The idea is to improve their survival and boost their populations in the wild. The Blanding’s turtles will be monitored and tracked after release to see if it really works. (Massachusetts)
And don’t forget the Clearwater Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Awareness Day!: It’s a sea turtle-focused day for the whole family. There’s a beach cleanup in the morning and learning opportunities later. Plus games for the kids. If you live near the Aquarium or plan to be near Clearwater Beach on May 12, mark your calendar!
Recent International Turtle News
Sea turtles are beautiful, and one cheeky little turtle seems to know it! Also, sea turtles can thrive even in areas undergoing development … the developers just have to care.
Another turtle makes the endangered list. More smugglers caught. And plastic still hurts the turtles and the environment.
Plus much more.
Sea turtle pictures, releases, and conservation
A beautiful shell-fie: This curious sea turtle just kept inspecting the camera. And in one shop his outstretched flipper makes it look like he’s taking a selfie.
An expanded port and more Olive Ridley turtles: Development doesn’t have to harm the turtles. And this project is proof. The port operator kept the turtles in mind when making changes. And the turtles seem to appreciate it. 💚
The baby turtles are coming! And on this beach in Odisha they’ll be all alone. As nature intended. The area with nests has been fenced off, and nobody can get near the nests. They can watch, but they can’t touch. And they can’t take pictures, either.
Lulu’s back home!: Well, technically she’s a few steps down the block, at the new Turtle Rescue zone. The green sea turtle just spent 7 years at SEA LIFE Brighton. But she’s now back at SEA LIFE Blackpool, where everyone’s thrilled to see her.
Sea turtle hatchery project in Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area: They had a 95 percent hatching success rate last year. They’re hoping to do as well this year. (Vietnam)
Palau may ban killing hawksbill turtles for 10 years: The bill, which passed the senate recently, would also prohibit killing turtles less than 34 inches long.
Plastic pollution: Cleaning it up and preventing it in the 1st place
From near death to the star of a WWF film: Poor Bob ate so much plastic he couldn’t dive (that’s how he got his name). Rescuers weren’t even sure he’d survive. But he did! And 3 years later he’s a spokesturtle against plastic pollution.
It really does take a village: In this case, to keep the beaches clean. And in this resort town, clean beaches are good for tourists and turtles alike. But even an entire village can’t do it all alone. The villagers are doing a great job, but they need the rest of the world to do its part, too.
Halifax considers banning plastic bags: The goal is to help the leatherback sea turtles who mistake the bags for jellyfish. Backers of the ban believe if the city puts a ban in place, the province (Nova Scotia) will follow.
Cleaning up the Yangtze River: It’s one of the longest rivers in the world. It’s also one of the most polluted, carrying more plastic waste to the sea than any other river anywhere. Volunteers are now trying to clear out the plastic before it reaches the sea. It’s a huge challenge.
Turtle research
This scorpion won’t be stinging a turtle in the middle of a river: No, this Scorpion will be helping James Cook University research turtle health. It joins the university’s other turtle research boat, the Dragon. (Queensland, Australia)
How to learn where seagrasses grow on the ocean floor? Follow the turtles! And that’s just what these scientists did. They tagged some green sea turtles, which eat seagrass, and then followed them to their secret foraging spots.
Endangered turtles news
Oddly adorable Australian turtle makes endangered list: Have you seen pictures of the turtle with a green mohawk and a couple of spikes under its chin? Isn’t it strangely cute? Sadly the Mary River turtle is also endangered. And once again it’s our fault. They were popular pets in the 1960s & ‘70s, but it took a while for scientists to realize the pet trade was sucking up all the babies.
Population of Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle increases by 1: One may not seem like much, but when the known population is all of 3, it’s exciting news indeed. So far breeding of the pair kept in captiviity has not been successful. The animal is also called the Swinhoe’s softshell or Red River giant softshell.
Saving the Bell’s Turtles: Foxes raid most of these turtles’ nests within 24 hours of them being laid. So researchers are raising them in captivity & releasing them. But now they need to survive for at least 20 years to start reproducing. Includes pictures & video. (New South Wales, Australia)
Other turtle news
World Wildlife Fund-Canada funds public awareness events: Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour has two events planned to educate the public about local turtle populations. The group will also help a new group, Turtles Kingston, with 2 additional events in Westbrook. (Ontario, Canada)
3 turtle smugglers caught with 5.5 kg calipee: Unfortunately the person who supplied them with the delicacy escaped.
Community fights to protect its turtles: The indigenous people in Tuxtepec, Oaxaca (Mexico) are guarding the turtles of Sal creek from poachers. Eight years ago they fought an energy company that tried to build a power plant on the creek without their input.