Sea Turtle Receives a 3-D orthopaedic chin made of titanium
Nine months ago, a Caretta caretta (Loggerhead Sea Turtle) was hit by the propeller of a boat, rupturing the turtle’s right side of the chin in the Turkish city of Bodrum (map of Turkey). The animal, named “AKUT 3,” has been suffering from indigestion and has been fed only small fish by hand for nine months. The Sea Turtle Researcher, Rescue and Rehabilitation center (DEKAMER) did some research and found out a way to replace the missing part of the chin with a 3D orthopaedic chin made of titanium by a 3D printer. This center has treated 122 sea turtles since 2008 with 68 of them been already released back into the sea and 12 still being under protection. Unfortunately, the 42 remaining died.
Turtle News From Around the World
Conservation
Since beaches of Kochi and Chellanam seem to be major spots for Olive Ridley turtles, Forest and Wildlife officials are planning to create safe nesting sites.
Louisiana’s governor refuses to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TED) on nets. As a consequence, endangered sea turtle mortality hasn’t decreased.
To better understand the turtle decline at Lake Bonney Barmera, 2000 turtle hatchlings will be released and tracked.
Education
Teaching kids about the life cycle of sea turtles using chalk board drawings in Costa Rica.
Medical/Health
From May to June, it’s turtle nesting season which means a lot of injured/dead turtles on the roads. A clinic in Belleville, Canada receives a special training for this purpose.
Miscellaneous
Schertz Animal Shelter recovered nine large turtles from a woman’s back yard.
Did You Know…
Vijayachelys silvatica was described in 1912 and only two specimens were found at that time. This turtle hadn’t been seen for the next 70 years until it was finally rediscovered (in 1982). Since then a number of specimens have been found and some studies have been conducted. Its scientific name is in honor of the famous Indian herpetologist Jaganath Vijaya who rediscovered this species and studied it in great detail.
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Photo from hurriyetdailynews.com
