World Turtle News

Volunteers help Alabama’s Gulf coast sea turtles Volunteers arrive before daylight. Sometimes they go all day without seeing any sign of a turtle or its nest. Chandra Wright said it can make volunteers wonder sometimes why they do it. But once they see baby turtles hatch and crawl to the water, they wonder no more. “It’s completely worth it when those babies hatch out,” Wright […]

Volunteers of the Turtle Watch Continue to Contribute Massive Efforts Towards Sea Turtle Conservation With Awe-inspiring Success At barely 6 AM in the morning there is activity on Longboat Key beach. As the sun rises one will observe multiple figures quietly working on something in the sand. A closer look will reveal a newly discovered nest of sea turtle eggs, and a volunteer meticulously covering

Chelydra serpentina found in Montezuma Well He doesn’t have a name yet, but the snapper turtle found on April 13 at Montezuma Well National Monument is now at his new home in the Phoenix Zoo. Nobody at USGS knows precisely how long the 40-pound snapper turtle was at Montezuma Well before a volunteer spotted him in the well’s ditch about two weeks ago. Later that

Turtle Survival Alliance Highlights Their Spring Break Activities Do you think you had an awesome spring break? Well what could be more exciting than spending break swimming in a pond and grabbing turtles? That’s what a group of volunteers from universities and colleges around the United States did earlier this year. The TSA, partnering with the NAFTRG, hosted the spring turtle sampling in both New

The Chelonoidis nigra in the USA Soupios has spent years studying Galápagos tortoises, and easily rattles off facts about their history in the wild—from past and present population figures to the latest efforts by scientists and nonprofit organizations to replenish their numbers. He says he keeps them out of a concern for the species’s conservation. His tortoises appear healthy and content—a reflection of their keeper’s

Dahanu rehab centre in India to receive upgrade The centre currently treats 60 turtles a year, but has basic facilities and the forest department has plans to set up a state-of-the-art turtle rescue rehabilitation and awareness centre at Dahanu. There has been a rapid increase in the number of turtles getting washed ashore on the coastal stretch and there is a need to upgrade the

Generous Funding Awarded to Deserving Organizations Dedicated to Conservation Twenty-nine programs were recently awarded grants for conservation, education, and and research, thanks to the Sea Turtle Grants Program. These programs are focused on Florida sea turtles, and funds were raised as part of a campaign using the sale of specialty license plates. Florida residents raised over $360,000 through the purchase of these conservation-themed plates, and

USFSM researcher, students assess tortoises’ campus habitat The gopher tortoises that inhabit six acres at USF Sarasota-Manatee’s entrance were once a source of concern to environmentalists as construction got underway for the new campus. Now the creatures are under the watchful eye of a USFSM researcher and group of students. Dr. Banner and her students started mapping the burrows and identifying forage plants after she

Australian Conservationist Takes His Hobby to Great Lengths Never Imagined Who knew that what started for a Riverland, AU resident as a simple enjoyable hobby would turn into the revival of a species threatened with extinction? After 60 years in the commercial turtle business, John Bannear now operates a turtle sanctuary dedicated to breeding and head-starting Emydura macquarii. He maintains an outstanding yearly release rate