Dubai school hands out hatchling turtles to students
A school in Dubai recently handed out Red-Eared Slider hatchlings to students as part of a “Fish and Beaches” theme. Unsurprisingly, many parents were upset by this. We have talked extensively about this topic in the past. For more on this topic, please watch this video produced by theTurtleRoom just before the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle film was released. We love the idea of getting young children into turtles and hoping they grow to love them, but doing it this way can cause more harm than good. We can only hope the parent who said, “It’s such a unique and wonderful gift that will surely interest my child very much. The smile my child had on his face while getting off the bus with the turtle in his hand said it all” is truly ready for the responsibility of caring for the turtle properly.
Turtle News From Around the World
Conservation
For the first time in 100 years, researchers have found new baby tortoises on the Galapagos island of Pinzón.
Export of the Japanese Pond Turtle, Mauremys japonica, will soon be banned from export in Japan, in a last-ditch effort to help save the species from extinction. Already listed CITES Appendix II, this will be the first time Japan has used CITES to restrict export.
Brunei hosts workshop on the conservation of Sea Turtles on their beaches.
Research
Researchers attempt to solve the mysterious deaths of scores of Blanding’s Turtles.
Crime and Punishment
Suspect caught smuggling Sea Turtle eggs in a child’s backpack.
Fiji government reminds that the eating of turtles is a crime under current laws. The moratorium is currently scheduled to end in 2018, but will be re-evaluated then.
Did You Know…
The highest point in the Galapagos Islands is Volcán Wolf on Isabela which is 1,707 m (5,600 ft) above sea level. There is a subspecies of Galapagos Tortoise native to the northern and western slopes of this volcano, Chelonoidis nigra becki, also known as the Volcán Wolf Tortoise.
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