Posted on: 2017-08-15 09:30:19
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Recent turtle news we found interesting. Did you miss any of these?
Recent Box Turtle News
We didn’t find any new box turtle stories in the last few days. But we still love these three stories we shared over the past few weeks.
- This yard is a box turtle haven!: At least one guy counts it as part of his regular habitat. The author includes pictures of the very colorful male turtle. 🐢
- Studying the Gulf Coast Box Turtle: For some reason this subspecies of box turtle hasn’t been studied much. One student at Antioch University New England wants to change that.
- Studying ornate box turtles: The Cornell College research has been going on for years. But this year they’re also trying to learn how the turtles see each other, using UV light.
Recent U. S. Turtle News
We have a couple of interesting stories about turtle reproduction. And sea turtles living happily outside their normal habitat. Plus turtle egg thieves, a snapper in the road, and more.
Red-eared slider mating: They have some interesting rituals, and females lay lots of eggs. That’s why these turtles can often outcompete and threaten survival of native turtles.
Could warmer temperatures mean no more male turtles? Possibly. But if it gets too warm, it may not matter: Most of the eggs would die before hatching. 😞 But the turtles might also adapt by changing the time of year when they lay their eggs.
Is that a rock in the road? No! It’ a moss-covered snapping turtle! 😲
Federal charges for stealing 600+ sea turtle eggs: They face 5+ years in prison. Good … how can sea turtle populations survive if we don’t let the babies hatch?!
Green sea turtles in Los Angeles?! Yes! There’s a small population living happily in the San Gabriel River. Weird. But also cool. And perhaps a sign the turtle are more adaptable than we’ve thought? We can hope.
Two stragglers make it to the sea: Two baby sea turtles didn’t quite make it out of their Litchfield by the Sea (South Carolina) nest the other day. So volunteers dug them up & sent them on their way. (Video)
And these two stories are still relevant. The Tour still has more than two months to run. And turtle sightings in Vermont/Quebec can be reported through October.
- Follow the Tour de Turtles!: This fun but important project follows sea turtles for 3 months. It allows scientists to understand how they migrate from their nesting grounds to their feeding grounds.
- Help count turtles around northern Vermont & southern Quebec: Memphremagog Conservation Inc is asking residents to report turtle sightings. The census runs from June through October.
Recent International Turtle News
Humans are the reason sea turtle populations struggle to survive. But humans can also be the solution.
Cyprus has new, strict rules for turtle beaches: They include no tents, caravans, or umbrellas on the beach. Also no staying overnight. Good for Cyprus!
Please, please police your fishing line: And if you hook a turtle, get it help if you can’t get the hook out yourself.
Locals oppose reviving iron mines: They’re worried the new company’s plans will hurt wildlife, including sandpipers and olive ridley turtles.
It was an egg-laying party: At least it sure looked like it, as Playa La Escobilla (a protected beach in Mexico) was crawling with nesting sea turtles. (Video)