Posted on: 2018-07-13 10:30:35
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Recent turtle news that caught our eyes.
Sad news out of Gulf World, decals promote sea turtle & manatee conservation, and bog turtles love cattle.
Also one little turtle causes a big problem in one Ohio town, head-starting turtles in the Caymans, and poachers just keep trying.
Plus much more.
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Recent Box Turtle News
No new box turtle news this week. Instead enjoy this Yucatan box turtle from the Turtle Room … we’re not sure if it’s happy or ready to bite! Either way, it’s adorable.
Recent U. S. Turtle News
As usual for sea turtle nesting season, sea turtles dominate the news. We’ve got mamas getting confused, hatchlings doing their thing, and people doing their things … some of it helpful and some not.
Other turtles in the news this week include spotted turtles, bog turtles (and their cattle friends!), and snapping turtles.
But first, if you’re in/near Padre Island & looking for something to do tomorrow, we’ve got just the thing!
It’s a “Ridley Rendezvous” at Padre Island National Seashore on Saturday, July 14: The event celebrates 40 years of Kemp’s ridley conservation. Events include sand sculptures, face painting, and more. And it’s free!
Sad news for Gulf World visitors
RIP Liberty: The loggerhead sea turtle washed ashore on July 4, 1988. She spent the years since living at Gulf World marine park & entertaining countless visitors. And staff, too. She will be missed. 😥 (Florida)
Sea turtle conservation & research news
Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center expansion: The center is only about 2 years old, but it’s already outgrowing its facility. So many people want to come see the residents & learn about the turtles that there’s often a line of people waiting outside. So the Center is adding outdoor space for classroom use, special events, etc. We’re glad to see people excited about turtles! (Florida)
Help support manatee & sea turtle research for just $5: And get a cool decal to boot. Revenue from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s annual conservation decals does just that. This year one decal promotes manatee conservation & a second reminds us to keep beaches dark for sea turtles. You can even order them on the FWC website (see links at the end of the story).
Other turtle conservation news
Texas reviewing ban on commercial turtle trapping: Much like Arkansas’ review (which we shared last week), Texas is responding to a Center for Biological Diversity petition.
Grazing cattle help bog turtles thrive? Apparently so! A recent 5-year study on one site showed the turtles preferred nesting in areas the cattle had tromped through. A win-win for farmers and endangered bog turtles. 💚
Protecting & increasing Ohio’s spotted turtle populations: Cleveland Metropark Zoo and the Geauga Park District are working together to headstart these turtles. This means the turtles live & grow in captivity until they’re bigger & better able to survive in the wild than tiny hatchlings.
Sea turtle nesting & hatching news
Why did the sea turtle cross the road? Nobody’s completely sure, but she was probably looking for someplace to nest & got confused. Rescuers got her back to the ocean. It doesn’t look like she laid a nest. (North Carolina)
Mama loggerhead got herself good and stuck: She was in a hole under a downed tree. Luckily Friends of Hunting Island volunteers saw her and freed her. Includes pictures. (South Carolina)
Do benches belong on beaches? Apparently sea turtles are colliding with and nesting under memorial benches on at least one beach. Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch would like to see fewer of these benches and have them located farther from nesting areas.
1st nest hatches on Edisto Beach, South Carolina: And it does so in daylight! 💚 It was quite the treat for the witnesses. Includes video.
More baby turtles waddle to the sea: This time at Castro beach on Guam. 💚 Includes video.
Rare sea turtle nest on Fenwick Island: Apparently Delaware doesn’t get too many sea turtle nests. The last one was in 2011.
Moving a sea turtle nest: Video shows the slow, careful process of removing each egg from the nest & placing it carefully into a bucket to be moved to safety without damaging the growing embryo.
Poachers on Florida beaches? A sea turtle tagging team from Mote Marine Laboratory saw what they believe were 3 poachers digging in a sea turtle nest on Nokomis Beach one night recently. 😠
Miscellaneous turtle news
How can one little turtle flood a whole street? By getting stuck in a storm drain! A police officer rescued it and released it in a creek. Includes picture (but we wish he wasn’t holding it by its tail …). (Ohio)
Snapping turtle questions: A hatchling age question and nesting questions. Did you know these things about snappers?
Firefighter takes his mission to protect seriously: And it extends to all living things, including a burned turtle he found while fighting a brush fire. (Tennessee)
Red tide may be to blame for recent sea turtle deaths: Several dead turtles have washed up on beaches in the Tampa Bay, Florida area.
Look at that turtle go! They usually take their sweet time getting around, but turtles can move faster than you might think when they want to. And this little guy apparently wanted nothing to do with the cops!
How do turtles breathe? Have you ever wondered about this? Its ribcage can’t expand & contract like ours does. Its shell is basically the ribcage. So … how does it suck in air?
Former reporter faces decades in prison for smuggling diamondback terrapins: He was smuggling the turtles out of New Jersey & selling them across the country. He sent at least one package of turtles to Canada. The irony is this is just the kind of story he apparently liked to cover as a reporter …
A very worthy Eagle Scout project: A turtle holding pen for the LA County Animal Care Center!
Red-eared sliders can’t survive Connecticut winters: That didn’t stop someone from dumping 3 in a nature center’s pond recently. 😠 Lucky for the turtles, the nature center is working with a rescue to get them back to their native habitat.
Recent International Turtle News
This week’s news includes a newly expanded & upgraded turtle rehab center, a new turtle sanctuary, and a reef coming back to life.
Also sea turtle releases, more turtle smugglers arrested, and more.
Sea turtle rehab & releases
Jervis & Wanda go home: The 2 green sea turtles headed out into Sydney harbor recently. Jervis spent 6 weeks recovering at Taronga Wildlife Hospital, and he left with a tracker so scientists can learn more about his habits & preferences. Includes pictures. (New South Wales, Australia)
Head start sea turtles released on Little Cayman: For some years now the Cayman Turtle Center has been hatching & raising green sea turtles for release at about 18-24 months old. But this release is the first one on Little Cayman. Includes video.
Upgraded & expanded turtle rehab centre reopens: The centre at Charles Darwin University can now give about 20 turtles all the time & high-quality care they need until they’re ready for release. (Northern Territory, Australia)
Turtle protection & rescue
Saving Bali’s sea turtles: The Bali Sea Turtle Society and its volunteers move nests from the beach to the safety of its hatchery, protected by a giant green sea turtle. Hatchling releases are a popular public event. Although 6 species of sea turtles live in Balanese waters, the Society has had most luck with olive ridleys.
Community involvement helps end poaching: The lack of poaching in the Ponta do Ouro Parial Marine Reserve in Mozambique is a testament to this. Turtle monitors from the nearby community help keep the turtles and their eggs safe.
A new sanctuary for the broad-shelled turtle: The turtle is endangered, but a new safe space, created right where they like to nest, will hopefully give them a better shot at survival. 💚 (Victoria, Australia)
Turtles rescued; smugglers arrested: They had more than 20 Indian Softshell Turtles ready to sell and smuggle to Bangladesh. 😡 (West Bengal, India)
Miscellaneous turtle news
Sargassum bothering people and turtles alike in St. Vincent: The seaweed is several feet thick in some places. Turtles can’t nest in it. Boats have trouble getting through it. And when it rots it stinks. Multiple government ministries are working on the problem.
Resurrection of Kirra Reef attracts life big & small: It was a big (really big!) loggerhead turtle that captured swimmers’ attention recently. The reef has been covered in sand for more than a decade but has been slowly reappearing. Includes pictures. (Queensland, Australia)