Posted on: 2018-09-28 10:30:10
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Turtle news we found interesting recently.
Helping a box turtle heal, counting Honu, and a new beer for the turtles.
An awesome leatherback video, and sad news about a famous leatherback.
Also 2 rescued snapping turtle nests, tracking wood turtles, and a freshwater turtle sanctuary’s days may be numbered.
Plus more.
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Recent Box Turtle News
This week we came across an awesome story of ingenuity in solving an unusual injury. We shared it on our Facebook page, but in case you missed it …
How do you make a wheelchair for a box turtle? With LEGOS! An Eastern box turtle came in to the Maryland Zoo with a cracked plastron. Since that’s an unusual injury they had to get creative with the repair and how to keep the shell off the ground until it healed. Includes pictures and video. 💖
And here’s Bunkle, a handsome fellow who lives at American Tortoise Rescue. Apparently he was ATR’s 1st land turtle rescue more than 25 years ago! He looks quite pleased with himself.
Recent U. S. Turtle News
This week we found sea turtles getting check-ups, going home, and drinking beer … No, wait. You drink the beer and the turtles benefit.
Also wood turtles might get endangered status, and why are we decorating turtles?
Decorated turtles detained briefly at airport: Each turtle had a different design painted on its shell. A family had bought them from a street vendor & declared them while going through customs at Dulles. Can we please stop painting turtles now?
Wood turtle news
Saving Sarge and his whole species: Sarge is a wood turtle, named by the people on whose Wisconsin property he lives (or she; it’s not clear if they actually know). Wood turtles have been recommended for endangered status under the Endangered Species Act.
Tracking wood turtle hatchlings for a whole year: Researchers want to determine 1st-year survival to see if protecting nests is worth the effort.
Sea turtle news
Checking in with Admiral: The “hotel turtle” who stayed behind to be the Tybee Island Marine Science Center’s ambassador turtle got a well-baby checkup recently. Includes pictures. (Georgia)
Guacamole has left the Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center: The adult green turtle is back at sea after stranding back in February. Includes video & pictures. (Florida)
It’s boats vs. sea turtles in Long Island Sound: And the sea turtles are losing this year. A 4th sea turtle has died from a boat strike.
It’s Honu counting time! Specifically it’s time for Hawaii’s citizen scientists to start reporting when & where they see numbered green turtles
Surgery for Shelmore: The US Coast Guard rescued the loggerhead last week. Unfortunately it turned out the turtle had eaten an eel … and that eel had eaten through the turtle’s intestines before dying! 😥 We hope Shelmore recovers. (Florida)
Watch a leatherback sea turtle lumber back to sea: Can you imagine seeing this amazing sight in person? 2-minute video. 💚
Sea turtles coming to SeaWorld San Antonio: The green sea turtles are unreleasable and will live in “Turtle Reef,” the park’s planned interactive sea turtle exhibit.
What’s a ‘Sea Turtle Sour’? It’s a new beer, and for every pint sold Coppertail Brewing Co. will donate $1 to the Florida Aquarium for its sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation program. So what are you waiting for? Get drinking! 😉
Recent International Turtle News
Nestings & hatchings & releases. Plus citizen science in the Mediterranean and Australia.
Sea turtle news
Rare hawksbill hatching on Sentosa: It’s only the 4th time since 1996 hawksbills have hatched on the island. Includes video. (Singapore)
Farewell to a famous leatherback sea turtle: Named Red Rockette, she kept scientists in both Nova Scotia and Colombia busy. Her tracker helped them learn more about her movements & nesting habits. And they actually saw her multiple times in both countries since 2012. Sadly her travels came to an end on a Nova Scotia beach this past August.
A tale of 2 turtles: Two female green sea turtles crawled ashore on the same night, witnessed by a team of journalists & cameramen … from a safe distance. This is their story. (Malaysia)
$50,000 for killing a turtle: 2 men must each pay that amount after pleading guilty to killing a turtle back in June. 😠 (Jamaica)
Snapping turtle news
Team effort results in 50 baby snappers: The spot mama picked was a yard scheduled for construction. So a neighbor volunteered to host the nest. And everybody got to watch it hatch. Includes pictures. (Ontario)
25 baby snappers almost ready for release: Their nest was rescued from a construction area and incubated by Wild at Heart refuge. Includes adorable video. 💚 (Ontario)
Conservation & research news
Saving Kenya’s sea turtles: Serena Beach Resort & Spa has been running its Sea Turtle Conservation Project since 1993. 💚
Are Arabian hawksbill sea turtles in more trouble than others? Maybe. Rising temperatures may be lowering the population’s fertility. But more study is needed.
Saving sea turtles? There’s an app for that! Ok, it’s not quite that simple. But there is an app that anyone can use to upload loggerhead and green sea turtle sightings in the Mediterranean.
Helping the Bellinger River Snapping Turtle recover: Bellingen Riverwatch wants more citizen scientist volunteers to help it collect water quality data. (Australia)
Turtles on the Ganges may lose protections: There’s a proposal to end the Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary that exists along a stretch of the Ganges River. 😥