Posted on: 2017-10-17 10:30:09

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Turtle news! How many of these stories have you seen?

Did you know someone actually studied how box turtles survive forest fires?

And who knew it could be so hard to catch a slow-moving tortoise? Plus turtle vs. alligator, and a Big Turtle Year.

Also, fishing restrictions protect Olive Ridley turtles nesting in India, an oil spill threatens Mexico’s sea turtles, and an interview with 2 exotic pet vets in Mumbai.

Recent Box Turtle News

Do you ever wonder how wildlife handles natural disasters? One man looked specifically at box turtles & fires.

What happens to box turtles in a forest fire? That was part of the talk Matt Cross gave to biology students at Central Michigan University. And apparently they do much better than he expected when he started his study.

Recent U. S. Turtle News

Sea turtle news is slowing down, since nesting season is at the end, although nest & hatchling counts are still being reported. There’s also an elusive escaped tortoise, health checks for a couple of wild turtles, and more.

Learn about turtle survival: Hear from a man who has been studying turtle populations for more than 18 years. He’ll be talking about threatened and endangered turtle populations on Oct 19 at Western Washington University.

Reminder: Please clean up after yourselves! This story is specifically about a Colorado town. But discarded fish hooks, fishing line, and other plastic is affecting animals everywhere.

It took 3 days to catch a tortoise?!! Apparently yes. People kept calling police about a tortoise. But every time the officer got there, the tortoise was gone.  😁 Story includes pictures & video. (Florida)

Wellness checks for wild snapping turtles? When a concerned resident noticed two snapping turtles in a local pond seemed to be unwell (a swollen eye & a lump on a neck), that’s exactly what the South Orange animal control officer & a couple of volunteers did. It went better than you might expect! Includes pictures. (New Jersey)

Would you fight an alligator for a meal? If you’re a hungry turtle, you just might! Check out this short but crazy video. 😲 (South Carolina)

A good year for loggerheads in South Carolina: Not as good as last year, but good enough to remain optimistic for the future.

Thanks from the Sea Turtle Association: The Association thanks all the volunteers, permit holders, and supporters who made its work possible this year.

Hunting turtles across the U.S.: Not hunting to kill, just to see. It’s all part of the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust’s Big Turtle Year. 🐢

And don’t forget about the Tour de Turtles and the Sea Turtle Open House.

• Just 15 days left in the Tour de Turtles! Who’s gonna win? Well, science and turtle conservation, of course. But also Soca in the Leatherback category & Eliza Ann in non-leatherbacks … at least for now!
• Learn about sea turtles: It’s a Sea Turtle Open House at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in South Wellfleet, Massachusetts. It happens on Saturday, November 25.

 

 

Recent International Turtle News

Recent stories around the world include teaching the next generation about turtle conservation, continuing crackdowns on turtle smuggling, and sea turtle nesting starts (as it ends in the U.S.).

Turtle camps!  Indigenous rangers protect and track turtles coming to nest on the remote Gunnamulla beach, in the Gulf of Carpentaria. They also bring children to camp and learn about the turtles, so the next generation can keep protecting the turtles. 💗 (Australia)

Amazing photos of marine life: No, most of the pics aren’t turtles, but they are awe-inspiring just the same. A smiling green turtle is about 4 pictures down.

4 years in jail for possessing turtle shell: A judge imposed that sentence plus a hefty fine on two men who had green turtle shell in their possession. After they serve their sentence, they will be referred to the Immigration Authority. (Malaysia)

5 years of turtle conservation paying off in Labuan: 3 marine parks hatched & released 1,705 sea turtles this year. (Malaysia)

Turtle protectors sometimes turn poacher: As Brazil has made cutbacks in its conservation programs, volunteers who once protected turtles use what they’ve learned to poach instead. 😢

Fishing restrictions during Olive Ridley nesting: Fishermen may not use mechanized trawlers along Odisha’s Ganjam coast from about mid October until early November. (India)

Want to help sea turtle conservation in Costa Rica? Sounds like a fascinating vacation! Read more about how volunteer programs work and what programs operate in the country.

Oil spill threatens sea turtle nesting: Fishermen discovered the spill along the coast of Oaxaca in Mexico. It’s the middle of sea turtle nesting season there. 😢

Meet the woman behind the Bahamas Plastic Movement: She’s always been connected to the sea, but it was a turtle sick from eating plastic that focused her energy on fighting plastic pollution.

Turtle smugglers arrested: 4 persons were smuggling 11 endangered turtles and deer antlers. They have been charged.

Mumbai’s exotic pets vets: Unlike most vets, these two specialize in exotic pets, including snakes, turtles, birds & guinea pigs.

Precious turtles released at La Mata beach: Turtle nests are rare here, so each live hatchling is important to the area’s conservation efforts.