Wisdom From The Experts Pt 4 & 5 Two Turtle and Tort experts, two related pieces of wisdom to share about turtle and tortoise anatomy! Lori Neuman-Lee, PhD (@CheloniaGirl ), prof at Utah State University, says – “I wish people knew that turtles can’t come out of their shells…because their shells are part of their...
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Words of Wisdom from the Experts Pt 3- “I wish people knew how smart turtles are. They learn quickly where their food comes from; if from a human then they learn that specific person” Is what Michelle Kelly (@MichelleKellyCW), public speaker about Reptiles and amphibians, wishes more people knew about turtles and tortoises. Those of...
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Words of wisdom from the experts pt 2 Check out this INCREDIBLE photo by Amanda Hipps, @biophilamanda, one of the experts who responded to our #worldturtleday question. Amanda studies the animals that live in gopher tortoise burrows. In case you didn’t know, gopher tortoise burrows are home to hundreds of other animals. Their status as endangered directly...
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This year, in honor of #WorldTurtleDay, we asked herpetologists, biologists, rescues, and rehabbers, to tell us what they wish more people knew about Turtles and Tortoises. Starting today we’ll be sharing a few responses a day! Let’s learn more about the animals we love from people who have devoted their lives to protecting them. Biologist...
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Almost 11,000 critically endangered radiated tortoises were recently discovered being held illegally in a home in Madagascar. They are now being safely housed at SOPTOM’s Tortoise Village, but they are desperately in need of funding for medical supplies and the construction of quarantine enclosures for so many ill tortoises.
These tortoises were living in their own filth without food, water, or light and many are in horrible condition. Hundreds of these critically endangered animals were already dead by the time they were rescued.
If anyone is willing to donate or spread this around I would be immensely grateful. The Tortoise Conservancy, Global Wildlife Conservation, and Andrew Sabin Family Foundation all currently matching all donations!
Attention #Floridians! Biologists want to know if you’ve spotted a Spotted turtle in the wild!Send your sightings to the email listed above and be a part of conservation action in Florida! BUT REMEMBER! Do not pick them up! Do NOT try and take them home with you. Leave them in the wild where they belong! Your job is to observe, acknowledging their glory, and report back (and squee with excitement that you got to see such an incredible creature in its habitat!)
Carnival Cruise Line ships tens of thousands of tourists to Cayman Turtle Centre each year, where sea turtles are abused for entertainment and farmed for meat. Help protect turtles now! Sign the petition!
Today ends our week long #BuyToysNotTurtles campaign.
We’ve only touched on the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problem of impulse buying and turtles and tortoises. We will continue to bring you more info in the coming weeks.
Share this video everywhere you can!! Our shell friends are depending on us! I, for one, want to make sure they continue to grace humanity with their presence for as long as we’re around!
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read these posts and share this important information.
Listen to the staff of TheTurtleRoomtalk about some of the MOST vulnerable and least researched turtles and tortoises. The Nubian Flapshell Turtle, Flatback Sea Turtle, Aquatic Box turtle aka Terrapin Coahuila, Asian and European Pond turtles, Marginated, Hingeback, and Forsten’s Tortoises!
ITS #WORLDTURTLEDAY!
The best day of the year! Have you done something to help turtles and tortoises today? Get moving (but leave the dandelion)!
As we do every year, today we’ll look at ways we can help support turtles and tortoises worldwide! Feel free to send us how you’ve helped turtles and tortoises today or any other day!
The United States Marine Corps is planning
a major rescue operation, but it’s not to save people. Starting this
month, 1185 desert tortoises will be airlifted away from their natural
habitat in the Mojave Desert to allow the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat
Center in Twentynine Palms to expand. But while the relocation is
intended to keep the tortoises from death by military equipment, some
critics fear that it could do more harm than good…
@ARLBostonRescue saves a turtle in trouble due to the strange NE weather trends.
It’s been crazy weather around here.., it is super warm, then a lot of snow, then super warm and then kinda in the middle. This makes the humans crazy, they don’t know if they should put the spring/summer clothes away or not.. but more importantly? This affects our cold-blooded friends the most! In their case its not just about what to wear its about how their bodies help keep them alive!
Thankfully, the great people at the American Rescue League cares about all animals that need assistance. from fur beasts stuck in a tree to shelled friends in a lake. We’re sp glad this snappy got a hand <3.
Sad news from The Turtle Survival Alliance. It’s been confirmed that one of the four remaining Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtles (Rafetus swinhoei) has died. Details are incoming but the cause of death is likely due to pollution in the lake he lived in. This leaves the only known members of the species one in a protected lake in Vietnam and a male-female pair living in a zoo in China.
The Turtle Survival Alliance has confirmed that one of the world’s four known remaining Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtles (Rafetus swinhoei), has died in Vietnam. This turtle – believed to be a male – was highly revered in Vietnam and was a long-time occupant of Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of downtown Hanoi. Sightings of the turtle attracted large crowds, as well as visitors from around the world. This turtle made global news back in 2011 when health concerns prompted officials to capture the turtle for medical treatment and mount a massive cleanup effort for the polluted lake.
The death of this Rafetus reduces the known number of living animals to three: one in a protected lake in Vietnam and a pair at the Suzhou Zoo in China. Since 2008, this pair has been the subject of intensive efforts to encourage them to reproduce in captivity as a last ditch effort to save the species, currently recognized as the most endangered turtle in the world.
We will bring you more information as this story develops….
This organization holds a very special place in our hearts. I was lucky to find them when Zoya first came into my life and I was in desperate need of good care information. I was and am inspired by the great work Julie and TRLI do for turtles and tortoises and the constant willingness to answer all the questions new and long time owners have on a daily basis.
Moreover, they have rescued, rehabbed, and released (or adopted out) thousands sick, injured or unwanted turtles and tortoises. They are no longer taking in non-native turtles or tortoises but continue their incredible work rehabilitating and releasing injured native shells, existing as a sanctuary for those permanent residents they have acquired over their years of work, and providing quality information on care and housing of turtles and tortoises. Run out of long island, the environmental needs are even larger during the winter time. Take some time to read about their work and consider making giving if you can. Every penny helps!
Julie Maguire, Director of Turtle Rescue of Long Island (TRLI), and Steve Menikos, both New York State Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitators, who after many years of keeping turtles realized the need for a network of caring keepers to help turtles that need new homes, founded Turtle Rescue of Long Island. After many years of taking in both native turtles for rehabilitation and non-native turtles and tortoises to place in new homes, we have come to a point where we have grown so that we cannot do both. As of July 31st, 2015 we will no longer be taking in non-native species, instead our concentration will be solely on rehabilitating native turtles.
For more information on turtles and tortoises join our Yahoo group. Just click on the link in the menu column. Lots of friendly turtle keepers with a like interest that love sharing advice, stories and more about their turtles and tortoises. Come join us!
