Posted on: 2018-06-08 10:30:47
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Interesting turtle news we found recently.
Sea turtle nesting season is underway in the US, and turtle protection organizations are reporting nest numbers and issuing reminders about keeping beaches safe for the turtles.
Also snapping turtles made lots of news as they’re out & about seemingly everywhere.
Elsewhere turtle CPR works, much to the turtle dad’s surprise. Also sad news on turtles in danger, an impressive World Environment Day sculpture, and more.
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Recent Box Turtle News
These dogs & their handler really get around!
“Turtle dogs” move on to ornate box turtles in Illinois: Last week we shared the story of John Rucker and his Boykin spaniels who help researchers find turtles. That story was in Ohio and they were retrieving Eastern boxies. This time they retrieved about 170 ornate boxies in Illinois. Ornates were once common in the state, but like all box turtle populations their numbers have dropped drastically. On the bright side, the researchers found a few turtles that were originally marked back in 1988!
Speaking of ornate box turtles in Illinois, look at these little cuties. They hatched back in 2015 as part of 2 Chicago zoo’s efforts to restore native ornate populations in the state. I wonder if any of them were retrieved as part of the above study.
Recent U. S. Turtle News
Most of this week’s stories focused on sea turtles & snapping turtles. Also a few Blanding’s turtle stories, and another restaurant ditches the straw.
First up, an idea to add to your weekend plans, if you happen to be in the area:
Sea Turtle Festival today and tomorrow! If you’re in/near Titusville, Florida and looking for something to do you’re in luck! Head to downtown Titusville for live music, artisan vendors, and even a Turtle Crawl with a great prize.
Sea turtle nesting news & reminders
South Carolina nesting season going strong: Some nesting beaches have seen a slow start to the season, but not in S.C.! It’s only a month in and the state has 500 nests. 💚
Beaufort County, SC sea turtle updates & reminders: Nesting season is slow so far this year. And volunteers are trying to make nesting easier on the turtles by filling in holes, removing trash, & reminding residents and visitors of the rules.
Boca Grande Beach sea turtle reminders & nests: An update on nest numbers and false crawls. And an exciting Kemp’s ridley nest. Plus reminders about trash, furniture, holes, and dogs on the beach. (Florida)
A nesting first for Isle of Palms: A leatherback nest! This has never before been recorded at that beach. (South Carolina)
Other sea turtle news
7 cold-stunned sea turtles head home: They’ve finally recovered and had a crowd sending them off in style. Includes video & pictures. (North Carolina)
Not your usual memorial: But a very cool one just the same. A Bradenton couple has adopted a sea turtle nest in memory of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victims.
Sea turtles at a human hospital? Absolutely! They needed CT scans to help decide on the best next steps in their treatment. The hospital was happy to help. 💚 (North Carolina)
Curing turtle cancer makes big leap forward: Researchers have found the same combination of surgery & chemo that works well for certain human cancers also stops turtle firbropapillomas from coming back. Awesome. See a Q &A with 2 of the researchers involved here.
Buy a commemorative brick to support the Georgia Sea Turtle Center: If you’ve ever thought of doing this, now’s the time. The bricks are on sale this summer for just $100 (previously $300 to $500). Proceeds support the Center’s activities. The bricks go into the Center’s Legacy Walkway, and there’s just a couple hundred left.
D-Day sea turtle release: The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Center released 12 sea turtles to commemorate the anniversary, including 2 named in memory of D-Day participants.
Snapping turtles everywhere
Snapping turtle gets caught between a rock and a hard place: Well actually a pipe and a dam. But the local police department get it unstuck and sent it on its way. Includes pictures (Michigan)
A leisurely stroll across a busy street: Leisurely for the snapper anyway. We suspect the kind man making sure she made it across safe would have liked to move a little faster! There’s a lot of cars zipping past in this video. (Michigan)
Man rides in on unicorn to save gosling from snapping turtle: We don’t usually applaud stealing a meal from a turtle, but this story’s just too good. The man originally thought the little goose was caught in seaweed & was just trying to help.
A torrential downpour didn’t stop this officer from protecting this tiny resident: A good Samaritan brought her an umbrella, but it looks like they both got soaked helping the snapper cross the road. 💚 (Maryland)
Getting a little snapper to safety: It’s a slightly long blog post, but the author’s play-by-play of rescuing the young turtle & bringing it to nearby water is worth the read.
Miscellaneous turtle-related news
Another restaurant goes plastic straw free: Yay! This time it’s TwoTen Oyster Bar & Grill in Rhode Island. Paper straws only in the very near future. Even better, the paper straw supplier will be donating a portion of the sales to the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center. A win all around!
Studying West Virginia’s spotted turtle: This cute little turtle is a popular pet, which of course means its numbers are dropping. So the state DNR is studying it in order to figure out how best to protect it.
Blanding’s turtle poacher to be sentenced in September: He took 4 turtle from Minnesota to Wisconsin and then shipped them to Florida. Under the federal Lacey Act, he could face thousands in fines and even prison time.
Buffalo Zoo’s Blanding’s project: The zoo is working with the Seneca Nation Fish and Wildlife Department to keep eggs & young hatchlings safe. Then they release them when the turtles are a little bigger & have a better chance at survival. Includes video.
Meet the Isle a la Cache Museum’s new ambassador: The museum in Romeoville, IL recently held an online poll to name the female Blanding’s turtle. And now she is officially Taco. Watch her explore her new home.
Recent International Turtle News
Not too much turtle news from the rest of the world this week. But one man loves his pet turtle very much. And artists get creative with sculpting turtles out of sand and wood, among other stories.
A couple of very different rescues
Would you do CPR on your turtle? This man did! And then he rushed her to the hospital! Such a kind man. 💚 (Ontario, Canada)
Fishermen remove tuna hook from turtle’s mouth: The hook was huge and must have made it hard to eat. 😢 (Includes video)
2 creative turtle sculptures
Amazing turtle sculpture: The huge long-necked turtle was carved from a tree downed by Cyclone Marcus in March. (Northern Territory, Australia)
An impressive sand sculpture: Created for World Environment Day, this turtle made of sand & plastic bottles asks you to #beatplasticpollution. Includes pictures. (New Delhi)
Other turtle news
Small fisheries killing large numbers of turtles: The deaths are accidental, but no less damaging to the turtle populations. Turtles potentially affected include the critically endangered hawksbills and leatherbacks. 😢
Another turtle in serious danger: Sovakia’s European pond turtle population has shrunk to just a few hundred.
Trafficking Black Spotted turtles: These freshwater turtles are popular as both food and pets. And their trafficking has increased in recent years. 😢
Tracking Western painted turtles: Researchers are busy monitoring the population at Burnaby Lake (British Columbia, Canada). The turtles are numbered and notched, so researchers can identify them and their movements. Unlike many turtle populations, this one seems to be doing well.