turtles

20 years ago, the Burmese roofed turtle was presumed extinct, but today, we have some good news! This huge Asian river turtle, whose face seems to be set with a permanent smile, has been saved from extinction by a group of scientists. After accidentally coming across a few of these turtles, these scientists, over the years, have managed to grow the population of these turtles to 1000 and counting, with some of the turtles even released back into the wild.

At least the world still seems to be healing! 

In Greece, there is one area that is the most important nesting site for loggerhead turtles that live in the Mediterranean, and that is the beaches of Zakynthos. And thanks to this global crisis, there has never been such slow tourism as there is this summer. 

One thing we can continuously be grateful for is the animals who now have a window to thrive and lay their eggs in peace. 

Like many other popular tourist places, the beaches of Zakynthos are experiencing a rare moment of calm and that calmness has lead to a peak of the egg-laying season for Loggerhead turtles. 

Head of the Zakynthos program for the protection of loggerhead turtles. Charikleia Minotou, had this to say about the beautiful moment, "This is an opportunity for the turtles to return at their own pace, to fall in love, mate and give birth on the beaches, as dictated by their biology. The long-term impact of the current conditions, however, will only become apparent over time."

She also added that she hopes these two months of peace for the turtles don't "end up being a footnote in the story of the loggerhead turtles on the island."

We certainly hope so, too! 

Story via Telegraph

Tortoises can be pretty adorable themselves, but add one of these cozies, and it's something else. 

Just remember that if you do buy or knit one of these by yourself, make sure you don't leave it on indefinitely, especially not on hot days or near a heat source.  

Tortoises absorb UVB through the skin on their legs and head, so as long as they don't wear a cozy all the time, it won't hurt the tortoise to have a stroll in the yard dressed as a dinosaur, a pig, a shark, or a cheeseburger.

World Turtle Day, celebrated every year on May 23rd, is dedicated to those noble reptiles and their place in the world and encourages people to take action to help protect both the common pet turtle and the ever endangered sea turtle. 

We are all for it! 

This town in Wisconsin is doing everything to help its turtle population! 

We don't often think about the dangers that turtles have to go through on a day-to-day basis but if they live near the highway, those dangers are very real. Perhaps that is why the Wisconsin Department of Transportation got together with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and came up with this innovative idea. Story via: Wisconsin Public Radio

Some turtles are carnivores, while others follow a strictly vegetarian diet. Most turtles, however, are omnivores, eating both animals and plants. Take a look at these turtles eating fruits. 

They have a problem with the plastic because of their anti-barfing spikes. Settle in, folks! Here is a short and helpful explanation on the unique structure of a sea turtles esophagus:

You almost wish this headline was just click-bait. But unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you see it), this actually happened. A routine traffic stop turned bizarre is this week's Florida headline. A couple was pulled over in May after running a stop sign, and deputies asked them what they had been doing, and they responded searching for frogs and snakes to collect. The deputies asked them if they had any other creatures in the truck, and that is when things took a turn for the weird.The woman had over 40 turtles in a Ninja Turtles backpack, which was definitely an eye-opener. But that is not what shocked the officers. 

The woman in the truck, Ariel Le Quire, after being asked if she had anything else, promptly pulled a foot-long alligator from the yoga pants she was wearing, and placed it in the bed of the pickup truck. The pair were cited and a judge found little humor in her stunt. sentencing Le Quire to 6 months probation, 200 hours of community service, and required her to pay $500 to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. This was all for charges of possessing an American Alligator, transporting more than one turtle or turtle egg, one count of possessing a soft-shell turtle, and one count of possessing more than one turtle, per day. 

The woman was also homeless at the time, so it is uncertain how the court expects her to pay the fine. But internet ridicule is sometimes a better teacher than any monetary penance could be.

Turtles are amazing animals. They can be traced back to the time of dinosaurs, they usually live around 70 years (tortoises reach around 150 or more years), and they're super cute. Sadly, as human development reaches the quietest of beaches, some turtle hatchlings are having trouble finding the ocean because of the confusing lights. But it's not all bad news! As well as being the problem (sorry turtles), we can also be the solution. Keep on reading to learn how you can help your little flippered friends live to be wise old creatures. 

Who said the perfect job doesn't exist? This might be one of the best summer internship opportunities you'll come across.

This luxury hotel in the Maldives is running a marine turtle rescue centre and is currently looking to hire an intern for two weeks in August to look after the turtles along with their veterinary experts. The list of duties includes feeding the turtles, cleaning their tanks, attending turtle rescue missions, providing information to guests and posting about the experience on Instagram. And if that's not enough, the lucky candidate will have all their expenses covered including flights, accommodation and food. 

We hear in them about parables of being slow and plodding, steady and methodical, and occasionally obsessed with Ninjitsu, news reporters, and pizza. We are, of course, talking about Turtles! World Turtle Day celebrates these noble reptiles and their place in the world and encourages people to take action to help protect them, both the common pet turtle and the ever endangered sea turtle.