tortoise news

Dermatemys mawii turtles Added to Assurance Colony in Belize In a huge boost to the joint TSA/BFREE campaign to establish a viable captive bred assurance colony of the critically endangered Hicatee (Dermatemys mawii), 19 new adult females were added to the HCRC in June 2016. The original founder population consisted of 22 animals, all but three of which are either males or animals still too […]

Unexplained Sea Turtle Fatalities in Australia Sea Turtles have been successfully nesting on Raine Island near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef for years; however, this is no longer the case. Recently the hatch rate of these turtles has dropped to below 30%, a shocking contrast to the island’s previous success. Researchers are searching to determine an answer to this mysterious issue. Initially, floodwaters were thought to

The Mistery Of Raine Island Might be Solved Raine Island is the largest and most important nesting site for green turtles in the world however the rate of successful hatches is less than 30%. They first believed it was due to seawater flooding the nests during high tides until the following year when the success hatch rate doubled. What changed during that year ? The

Sea Turtle Herpes Virus a Concerning Issue Those terrible looking growths on the sea turtle’s body are actually tumors known as fibropapillomatosis. They are caused by a herpes virus that only affects turtles, and scientists are searching for answers on the cause of this dehabilitating disease. The tumors which affect the turtles cause them to be more susceptible to pathogens which further increase the fatality

Painted Gopherus polyphemus cleaned and returned to wild A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologist responded to a call involving a gopher tortoise that had its shell covered in red paint. This case is disturbing because it is particularly difficult to witness blatant animal abuse. Along with her shell being covered in paint, the tortoise also had paint on her head and legs,

Ontario Does its Part to Conserve Native Species A clutch of Chelydra serpentina nearly met their end last fall had it not been for the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC). The eggs were laid on a Seneca’s King College campus bridge; however, the bridge was scheduled to be demolished, which would have meant certain death for the hatchlings. The OTCC collected the eggs for artificial

Guernsey Receives Tortoise From Durell for CT Scan George, a 46-year-old radiated tortoise, travelled from Jersey to Vets4Pets in St Martin’s to have a CT scan. Indeed, St Martin’s surgery is the only island in the Channel Islands with an animal CT scan. The 46-year-old radiated tortoise named George has been having issues with his front limb for a while and previous examination did not

Marines Clash With Desert Tortoises In Twentynine Palms, CA, in the middle of the Mojave Desert, marines from the U.S. Marine Corps undergo advanced combat training, while threatened Gopherus agassizzii meander along the sidelines; in fact, Desert Tortoises are native to the area and the U.S. Marine Corps runs an on-base hatchery to assist in conserving the species. However, tensions have risen over the the

TSA report: River Terrapins Hatch Throughout Asia Throughout Asia, from remote nesting beaches to captive breeding facilities, River Terrapins (genus Batagur) have recently completed their hatching season. The accounts below summarize information from the countries where TSA works on Batagur recovery programs including India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. Burma hatchling BatagurThe River Terrapins (Batagur) comprise six species of large, impressive, and at least in some