Posted on: 2017-09-15 10:30:14
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Turtle news we found interesting recently.
Have you seen these? There’s updates on sea turtles & their nests after Irma, exciting news about an extinct tortoise species, and Tony Amos returns to the sea.
Recent Box Turtle News
Baby boxies. Always worth seeing. 💚 ❤️
The world has 2 more keeled box turtles! These Asian boxies are endangered & breeding them has been hard. These two were born at the Bristol Zoo, which has been trying for 12 years! (England)
And studying boxies is always worth doing! We’ve shared these two before, but find them worth sharing again:
- University of North Georgia studies Eastern box turtles: The project looks at the turtles’ home range and how they use their habitat.
- Ever wanted to study box turtles? Here’s your chance! The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is looking for field assistants for 2018. It’s an unpaid internship, but it looks like fun!
Recent U. S. Turtle News
Lots of Irma-related news … from how best to help struggling hatchlings to how nests faired on various beaches. Also a fitting Tony Amos ceremony and finding DNA from an extinct tortoise in living tortoises. Plus more.
Call the experts to help the sea turtles after Irma: If you find uncovered nests or confused hatchlings, experts will know the best way to help them. And sometimes the best thing to do is actually nothing!
And the experts are already out checking on nest damage: Along with trained volunteers, they’ll be evaluating known nests.
Residents rescue stranded hatchlings from Fort Pierce Beach: The poor things just couldn’t make it across the disturbed sand and through the strong waves. The residents called for help first, and got instructions on what to do. ❤️
Most nests survived Irma on 2 South Carolina beaches: Garden City beach and Surfside Beach only lost 3 nests. 😊
Other S.C. beaches weren’t so lucky: As many as 100 nests may be lost on Kiawah Island. 😢
And Irma uncovered many green sea turtle nests on Vero Beach: Officials don’t expect it to have a major effect on the turtle population.
Houston police rescue any creature in danger: The other day it was a snapping turtle in the middle of Memorial Drive. The officers needed help from the Houston SPCA, but the turtle is now safe.
It was a long rehab: More than a year. But three olive ridley sea turtles have gone back home to the sea. They’re all wearing satellite transmitters so researchers can monitor their movements. (San Diego)
Tony Amos rescued it; now it’ll bring him back to the sea: A green sea turtle he rescued will carry a few of his ashes out to sea when it’s released September 30.
Can they make the park more turtle-friendly? At least one resident would like to make it easier for snappers to get to the lake to lay eggs. (Minnesota)
Resurrecting an extinct Galapagos tortoise species? Well, not exactly. But apparently many of the extinct species’ genes live on in Isabel island tortoises. So scientists are hoping to breed them and create a population that’s really close to the original. 😲 💗
Recent International Turtle News
Recent news seems to focus on protecting turtles from plastic, smuggling, and cars. Also, a sad turn after high hopes for a green turtle nest.
Making it easier to recycle your fishing line: New recycling receptacles along the Grand River in Haldimand County (Ontario, Canada). But wherever you are, look for these receptacles. Many nature preserves & recreation areas have them. In the US, too!
Campaigning against plastic since 2011: The number of turtles and birds dying from eating plastic brought the issue alive for Toby Hutcheon. (Queensland, Australia)
Calls for uniform turtle protection laws in Malaysia: According to WWF Malaysia, laws protecting turtles are inadequate.
Matilda’s back home: But is she safe? The snapping turtle was hit by a car earlier this year. Concerned residents want the city to take steps to better protect area turtles. So far nothing’s been done. (Ontario)
Just one baby from nest of 87 eggs: Our Tuesday News included a story about the 1st green sea turtle hatchling on Racha Island in 10 years. Sadly, that little guy was the only one to hatch. The rest of the nest failed. 😢