Posted on: 2018-03-16 10:30:16
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Recent turtle stories we found interesting.
Help study box turtles. Help clean up sea turtle nesting beaches. Or at least leave the beaches clean when you leave.
The move away from single-use plastic bags keeps gaining momentum. At least one zoo is joining in!
Elsewhere a snapping turtle jumps the gun on spring. Students cycle for the turtles. And “it takes a village” takes on a new meaning in this village devoted to its sea turtles.
Plus more.
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Recent Box Turtle News
Are you a student majoring in biology, zoology, environmental science, or another natural sciences curriculum? Would you like to track box turtles, take video of wildlife, write species profiles, and more? This internship might be for you!
Box turtle research intern needed: Well, not just box turtle research, but that’s part of the job description for an internship with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Must be a current student. Application deadline 4/4/2018, 5pm Eastern.
Recent U. S. Turtle News
Is your zoo going plastic bag free? A zoo in Kansas is! And a Colorado program teaches kids about the ocean and its amazing creatures. Being landlocked certainly doesn’t have to stop you from loving sea turtles & other marine life!
But if you are near the sea, you might be able to check out one of the turtle-focused festivals happening. Or witness a sea turtle release. Just make sure you leave the beaches safe for nesting sea turtles & their babies!
And a very special garden “plants” the seeds for survival of a very pretty little turtle.
Plus more.
Lee Richardson Zoo going plastic bag free: The zoo is encouraging guests to use reusable bags when shopping in the gift shop. For now it will charge 25 cents for single-use bags & donate the fee to the Sea Turtle Conservancy. Glad to see the push for getting rid of single-use plastics keeps spreading! ❤ (Kansas)
Are you ready for TurtleFest?: It’s the Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s annual ocean conservation festival. And it’s happening on March 24 at Loggerhead Park in Juno Beach. If you’re nearby, check it out! It’s free & kicks off with a beach cleanup. The rest of the day includes yoga, games, shopping, foods and more. And sea turtles, of course … yes, real live sea turtles will be waiting to meet you! (Palm Beach County, Florida)
Loving the ocean even while landlocked: A program in Colorado helps kids understand & love the ocean, even far from it. Called the Marine Science and Mini Swim Camp, it uses experiments, crafts, and games to teach kids aged 4-8 about the wonders of marine life. Sounds like an idea others should copy!
Turtle Assurance Colony helps turtles and students: Centered at Dalton State in Dalton, Georgia, TAC is only 4 years old, but already making a difference. Students get hands-on experience applicable to working with any animal. And threatened turtle species get a shot at survival. The program has already successfully bred & hatched several species. And it has plans to grow.
These turtles have their own garden: “The Turtle Garden” is a nesting habitat for diamondback terrapins. Local residents tend to the garden, making sure nesting females & their nests stay safe and helping the babies survive. I want a terrapin garden! 💚 (Massachusetts)
Do you know the Big Bend slider?: This relative of the Red-eared slider lives mostly in the Rio Grande River.
Leatherback sea turtles already showing up near Northeast Florida shore: Unfortunately several of them have been tangled in debris or hit by boat propellers. At least one died from its injuries. Although nesting season in the area doesn’t officially start until May 1, we need to be paying attention now!
5 recovered sea turtles have gone back to the sea: 4 green sea turtles recovered from their cold shock over the winter. And a loggerhead has healed from surgery to remove a fish hook. Includes video & pictures.
Reminders for sea turtle season: Protecting nesting sea turtles & their hatchlings. Also what to do if you accidentally hook a sea turtle. Includes video.
Cape Cod strandings may soon strain resources: Sea turtle numbers have been increasing, and that’s a good thing. And the earth is warming, including the waters around Cape Cod, which is not so good. The two things together seem to be causing more turtles to get caught too far north when the weather turns colder in the fall. And if the numbers keep going up, the turtle rescue organizations may have trouble keeping up with their care.
And remember Sea Turtle Awareness Day, coming up in May!
- Join Clearwater Aquarium for Sea Turtle Awareness Day on May 12. This sea turtle focused day includes a beach cleanup, games, educational programs & more.
Recent International Turtle News
So many endangered turtles, and so little time. Conservationists & concerned citizens work together in many places to help them survive. And even thrive.
In one village everyone protects their Olive Ridley turtles. From the time the mamas lay their nests right up until the last hatchling has made it to the sea. 💚
Sadly others prefer poaching & beating over protecting. And plastic & fishing gear continue to be problems. 😥
Too many endangered turtles: A new report on the world’s most endangered turtles & tortoises shows very little has changed since the last report in 2011. 😥 A lot of people are working hard to save these species. But too many other people either don’t care or are decimating the few remaining populations for profit.
Saving the northern river terrapin: It’s one of the most-threatened turtles in India. But there’s hope that 4 breeding ponds can help restore their numbers in the wild.
Seafood companies and their ghost gear: Lost & abandoned fishing gear is one of the biggest threats to marine life. But most of the biggest companies are doing very little if anything to address the problem. 😠
The dangers of coming out of hibernation too early: This snapping turtle jumped the gun a bit. And found himself in a bit of a pickle, half-in & half-out of a hole in the ice. Luckily the Ontario Turtle Conservation Center came to the rescue. They’re letting him hang with them until the weather is consistently warm. Hopefully soon! Includes pictures before & after rescue.
Entire village committed to protecting Olive Ridleys: No swimming allowed on its beach. And everyone helps protect the nesting females, the nests, and the hatchlings until they get to the water. Awesome! 💚 (India)
Did you know turtle eggs “talk” to each other? That’s how all the eggs in a nest hatch at the same time!
Sea turtle poachers arrested: 20 Tanzanian fishermen have been arrested by Mozambique officials.
Mass nesting at Gahirmatha sets record: 223,000 nesting females set a one-day record on March 10. Officials believe the total numbers may also set a record this year. (India)
But are too many turtles nesting on one beach? Well, not exactly, but this year’s arribada at Gahirmatha did get a bit messy. Seems they all preferred certain spots on the beach, and a lot of early nests got destroyed by turtles nesting later. 😥
Students cycling around Odisha for the turtles: Their goal is raising awareness of Olive Ridley sea turtles & the need to protect them.
Still too much plastic on the beaches: And it’s still killing birds & turtles. See some of the plastic waste found during a recent New Zealand beach cleanup.
Giving birth is exhausting: Yes, even if you’re “just” laying eggs. It takes hours of effort to dig a hole & then deposit 50, 80, 100 or more eggs. And this mama green sea turtle needed a rest. She got help getting back to the water, and officers are guarding her eggs.
Is it a choice between loggerhead survival and resort development? Environmentalists are worried it might be. The resort is planned for a loggerhead nesting beach, and one that’s cool enough to produce male hatchlings even. But resort activity & bright lights might stop them from nesting there.
Community service for beating and killing a sea turtle? Doesn’t seem like enough. Granted 500 hours is a lot, but this was a violent & cruel act. Apparently they could have faced a $3,000 fine or a year in jail.