nationalaquarium:

Animal Rescue Update: Our newest rehab patient. Hardhead, was stranded in Lewes, Delaware last week. Hardhead is being treated for cold stunning, carapace and plastron fractures and buoyancy issues.

If you find a cold stunned sea turtle in Maryland, please call our stranding hotline immediately at (410) 576-3880.

These Galapagos Tortoises seem to enjoy human contact most, or maybe there’s an itch just.. right there.. no a little …to the left… these short legs are useless for this sorta thing!
The University of Florida, Psychology department, has completed some fascinating research examining the enrichment preferences of captive animals. In this case, do Galapagos tortoises prefer interacting with ‘play’ objects, the sprinkler, or getting a neck rub from one of their keepers?  The hope being, any understanding of their preferences would assist keepers in providing them with the best possible environment.
For the three Galapagos tortoises studied? Their choice was human interaction. “Not only did they prefer keeper interaction overall compared to the traditional forms of enrichment,” Mehrkam said, “but the individual tortoises had preferences for the kind of interaction they wanted. Larry and Curly like having their necks rubbed. Moe liked the shell scrubbing.”  (UFL.edu) 
Why did they choose human interaction?? Well, that calls for further research… after curly gets his neck rub of course. 

Happy Belated Hatch Date to these ~100 Loggerhead Sea turtles, who hatched and made their way to the ocean last Friday night. The incredible event was seen live by viewers of the Florida Keys streaming “Turtle Cam” and, thankfully, recorded for the rest of us to see.

Bon Voyage, little ones!

Read more about the cool camera being used to protect the hatchlings below and click the link and check out on the Turtle Cam’s website. 

(Source: Fla-Keys.com TurtleCam)

Friday, July 25, about 100, 3-inch-long loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings made their way from the nest to the ocean’s edge just before 9 p.m. (ET)

Using infrared lighting, a live-streaming, high-definition “turtle webcam” positioned on a beach in the Florida Keys recorded the hatch.

The camera uses infrared lighting so hatchlings won’t be confused by artificial light and will go to sea – guided by moonlight reflecting on the water — instead of pushing further onto land.

The webcam is part of ongoing efforts in the Florida Keys to raise awareness of sea turtles and the need to protect them.

Loggerhead, green, leatherback, hawksbill and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles nest on beaches in the Florida Keys and other parts of Florida, or inhabit Florida and Keys waters. All five species are considered either threatened or endangered.

From mid-April through October each year, these turtles crawl ashore at night to dig their nests and lay eggs. A female turtle typically lays about 100 eggs and covers them with sand before returning to the water, leaving the nest alone.

Approximately two months later, the hatchlings struggle free of the nest and rush toward the sea, guided by moonlight reflecting off open water.

Any artificial light, including flashlights and flash cameras, can disturb and disorient the turtles, interrupting the natural process. Laws prohibit people from touching or disturbing hatchlings, nests and nesting turtles.

wafflesworld:

Mom made a drawing of tort-time friend Zoya. Looks like we are headed to the post office this week!

YOU GUYS! wafflesworld ’s Mom did a drawing of Zoya!! She is so talented! Human here might have gotten sniffly cause its so accurate and so beautiful! Zoya wanted to give it a shell hug and then said to tell everyone she’s available to model for art classes for a small dandelion fee 😀 

turtlefeed:

supersalvarul:

I’m sorry that my turtle is so majestic. 

I can’t even handle this photoset. Can’t. Even. Handle. 

Thie existence of this.. Its freakin’ majestic. magnificent. shelltastic!  This isn’t a turtle star in the making, this is a turtle star happening. Look upon these images, then go and look upon the other photos of this turtle. You will be better for it. Even Zoya (who likes to think she’s got pet star down.. has a lot to learn from this turtle).

 Unrelated…Is that a Bruins shirt I spy?  

This = Perfection. ALWAYS reblog. 

turtlefeed:

supersalvarul:

I’m sorry that my turtle is so majestic. 

I can’t even handle this photoset. Can’t. Even. Handle. 

Thie existence of this.. Its freakin’ majestic. magnificent. shelltastic!  This isn’t a turtle star in the making, this is a turtle star happening. Look upon these images, then go and look upon the other photos of this turtle. You will be better for it. Even Zoya (who likes to think she’s got pet star down.. has a lot to learn from this turtle).

 Unrelated…Is that a Bruins shirt I spy?  

This = Perfection. ALWAYS reblog. 

turtlefeed:

supersalvarul:

I’m sorry that my turtle is so majestic. 

I can’t even handle this photoset. Can’t. Even. Handle. 

Thie existence of this.. Its freakin’ majestic. magnificent. shelltastic!  This isn’t a turtle star in the making, this is a turtle star happening. Look upon these images, then go and look upon the other photos of this turtle. You will be better for it. Even Zoya (who likes to think she’s got pet star down.. has a lot to learn from this turtle).

 Unrelated…Is that a Bruins shirt I spy?  

This = Perfection. ALWAYS reblog. 

turtlefeed:

supersalvarul:

I’m sorry that my turtle is so majestic. 

I can’t even handle this photoset. Can’t. Even. Handle. 

Thie existence of this.. Its freakin’ majestic. magnificent. shelltastic!  This isn’t a turtle star in the making, this is a turtle star happening. Look upon these images, then go and look upon the other photos of this turtle. You will be better for it. Even Zoya (who likes to think she’s got pet star down.. has a lot to learn from this turtle).

 Unrelated…Is that a Bruins shirt I spy?  

This = Perfection. ALWAYS reblog.