tortoise news

Smuggler arrested in Papua with over 2,000 endangered turtles A man has been arrested for trying to smuggle 2,000 endangered pig-nosed turtles, police said, marking the latest wildlife-trafficking arrest as the Southeast Asian nation battles the vast trade. Authorities in Papua province said they seized 2,227 of the palm-sized turtles which were stuffed into boxes on a boat docked in the remote town of Agats. […]

Dr. Claire Lomas finds dream job at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu in Maldives saving sea turtles Claire, who has been living and working in the Maldives for 18 months said that life in the tiny island nation is a world away from that in the UK. She has so far saved around 80 turtles and provides surgery to those who become seriously injured after being

Professor Nicole Valenzuela’s study of painted turtles raises concerns for temperature-determinate sex determinate species amidst climate change Valenzuela said loss of habitat and exploitation has already left many turtles vulnerable to extinction, and climate change only adds to the peril these species face. “The whole message here is the potential effects climate change can have on these species and the importance of our findings for

Turtle-sniffing dogs heading to Bur Oak Land Trust project The concern is for the ornate box turtle, Iowa’s only native terrestrial turtle which lives on sandy prairies and open forest land. This is in sharp contrast to the river and wetland-loving snapping turtle and northern painted turtle — and its 10 other Iowa cousin-species. These box turtles are listed as “threatened” in Iowa, and Bur

Monster ghost net found in North Male in the Maldives The North-East monsoon season in Maldives is peak season for ghost nets drifting into to Maldives, and along with them, entangled marine life. The team at One & Only Reethi Rah recently removed a monster ghost net in North Male Atoll, estimated to weigh between 200 and 300 kg. The boat crew at One &

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Funds to Preserve 6,300 Acres in South Padre Island Funds from companies responsible for the largest ocean oil spill in history will be used to preserve sensitive wildlife habitat in South Padre Island, including for endangered sea turtles. Starting this month, international environmental nonprofit The Nature Conservancy will close on two deals in 2019 to acquire a total of nearly 6,300

In Canada, beavers and Blanding’s turtles make an interesting pair Beavers build dams, which create wetlands, to increase their food resource area and protect themselves from predators. In addition to regulating, filtering and purifying runoff water, these wetlands are also useful for other species; they promote the nesting and feeding of waterfowl, and also benefit several types of fish, amphibians, reptiles and even some mammals.

Tracking the desert tortoise with Dave Hansen The state reptile of California and “poster child” for our Mojave Desert is the tortoise. The desert tortoise, weighing in at about 8 to 15 pounds, grows slowly and may live 50 to 80 years. It has roamed our landscape for many thousands of years. Sadly, today the tortoise is a threatened species protected by federal law. In

1,529 exotic turtles and tortoises found at Philippines airport duct taped Over 1,500 exotic turtles and tortoises that were being smuggled into the Philippines’ main airport were intercepted by authorities on Sunday, Philippine customs said. The 1,529 animals, all of which were found to be alive after four abandoned suitcases containing the animals were discovered, were believed to be worth around $86,000 (4.5 million pesos),