tortoise news

Chemical cocktail found in Barrier Reef turtles Human medicines and household substances have been discovered in the blood of green turtles in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, researchers said Friday, highlighting the impact of man-made matter on marine life. “Humans are putting a lot of chemicals into the environment and we don’t always know what they are and what effect they are having,” said Amy Heffernan […]

Once Thought Extinct Species Recovered Thanks to Bullsbrook Resident Archie Gates might not have thought much of it at the time, but when he picked up a small turtle off the road, he single-handedly rediscovered a species once thought to be extinct. Mr. Gates handed the turtle over to his cousin, Robert Boyd, who was intrigued and presented it to the local Naturalist club for

Decoded genome may help tortoise win race to survive Arizona State University’s School of Life Sciences recently decoded the desert tortoise’s (Gopherus agassizii) genome, allowing for more specific methods of protection to be developed. Due to issues of habitat loss, invasive plants and animals, and illnesses, this knowledge can go a long way. Turtle News From Around the World Conservation USA- Virginia Aquarium releases 100th

Volunteers move turtles in Annapolis Harbor before beneficial renovation Because they don’t leave the scene like most other wildlife, helpful volunteers made sure that the various turtle populations were safely captured and temporarily transferred to another location. The renovation of the pond will increase the quality of the habitat and environment. Check out the videos of a sea turtle being helped back to the ocean

Professor working to save endangered Northern Illinois turtle When she’s not busy grading papers or teaching organismal biology at Benedictine, Leigh Anne Harden, Ph.D., likes to trudge through murky bodies of water and dive for turtles — all in the name of research. “My research questions revolve around how ectotherms (cold-blooded) vertebrates function and interact with their environment, particularly in the face of urbanization and

Protecting turtles; Community’s hard work is a model for others The effort to protect the reptiles of Long Point — dubbed the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project — began in 2006 when community members gathered to discuss the issue. The community began putting up fences in 2008, and two years later Levick said the number of turtles dying on the roadway had already been cut

University Program Implementing Important Head-starting Program for Native Turtle Species Biology students at Worcester State University have the opportunity to study one of their state’s most endangered turtle species, Pseudemys rubriventris. This project is a head-starting program headed by the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife which has been involved with the conservation of this species for 33 years. After being raised at the head-starting

Study of Gopherus agassizii shows translocated tortoises having possible mating issues Genetic testing of hatchling desert tortoises in California has shown that none of them are offspring of the 570 tortoises that were translocated to the area four years ago. While scientists aren’t sure why the introduced adult males aren’t breeding, this information can be used to look further into the issue of translocation as

Gopherus flavomarginatus Assurance Colony Brings Hope for a Nearly Extinct Species The world’s first Gopherus flavomarginatus head-starting program recently took off, as the initial group of hatchlings was released into their native habitat as a collaborative project between the Turtle Conservancy and Turner Endangered Species Fund (TESF). Assisted by Dr. Paul Gibbons from the Turtle Conservancy, the tortoises were radio-tagged before being sent on their