Turtles born out of mass croc extinction
Marine turtles, as we know them today, got an evolutionary leg-up (or flipper-up) when a huge number of ancient crocodile ancestors died out 145 million years ago, according to new research. A paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B uncovered a link between a mass extinction of crocodyliforms – the name given to crocodiles, alligators and their ancient ancestors – and the rise of the marine turtle. This extreme shift took place during the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary – a dramatic time in prehistory in which 80% of the world’s species were wiped out. Select the link to read more…
A third Burmese Roofed Turtle (Batagur trivittata) colony is established, nesting patrols for the painted terrapin (Batagur borneoensis) and limits set on turtle harvests; see the Conservation section for those and lots more. Sea turtles hatching in a museum! in the Education section. Want to see what a sea turtles throat looks like then see the Biology section. A man advertises for a tortoise walker and a tortoise photo-bomb, in the Miscellany section.
Turtle News From Around the World
Conservation
Nest Patrols Benefit Painted Terrapins in Indonesia
New Burmese Roofed Turtle assurance colony established in February
Bill setting limits on turtle harvests clears Iowa House
ICG reaches out to turtles in distress
Olive Ridleys hatchlings ride into the waters at Kasargod
Star tortoise population blooms in Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary
Education
World Science Festival – You can watch turtle eggs hatching
Biology
Green turtle carcass found on Sabah’s Sipitang beach
Columbus Zoo welcomes newly-hatched pancake tortoise
Video shows inside a sea turtle’s throat
Crime & Punishment
FIA foils rare tortoise smuggling bid
Blog
A Weekend with Olive Ridley Turtles in Velas is Just What You Should be Planning Right Now
Miscellany
NYC Craigslist Ad: Man Seeks A Tortoise Walker To Walk His Tortoise For $10 Per Hour
From the Archives: Omaha zoo launches $15,000 fundraising drive in 1953
#TortoiseSelfie: Phoenix Zoo doctor poses for selfie with curious 80-something ldabra tortoise
Species Facts…
Four-eyed turtle (Sacalia quadriocellata): The holotype specimens described by Siebenrock were found in Phuc Son, Vietnam, north of Annam. The range of S. quadriocellata stretches from central and southern China — including the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Fujian, and Jiangxi — into eastern Laos and northern Vietnam.
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Photo from Michael DeFreitas / robertharding / Getty Images.
