Michaela Wiersema

Successful Hatching Of World’s Largest Chelonian A Noteworthy Australasian Accomplishment Aukland Zoo certainly has cause for celebration this year. They are only the second Australasian zoo to successfully reproduce Chelonoidis nigra, after years of failed attempts to breed their pair of mature specimens. Curator of ectotherms and birds Richard Gibson attributes part of this success to the introduction of a second male, which may have […]

Bronx Zoo Making Leaps and Bounds In The World Of Chelonian Conservation With chelonians being the world’s most endangered vertebrate group, conservation measures are critical towards preserving each and every species from falling to extinction, as multiple species already have; in addition, many species are already functionally extinct, meaning a population no longer exists in the wild. The Bronx zoo is just one example of

The Memory Of One Of The Most Important Contributors To Sea Turtle Conservation Will Live On One of the greatest contributors to sea turtle conservation recently passed away last week. One might assume that this was an important biologist or ecologist, but in reality, this was Ridley Ranger, a small Cairn Terrier. Ridley Ranger was a turtle dog, trained to sniff out and locate turtle

Iowa Resident Opens Her Doors As A Non-Profit For Abandoned Tortoises It all started with one sick tortoise which desperately needed a home, and one kind heart who fulfilled that pressing need, eventually evolving into the Big and Small Tortoise Rescue and Sanctuary. Kimberly Vanous now cares for a houseful of rescued tortoises, and is even making definite plans to relocate to a large property

Community Unites To Rescue Incredibly Rare Nest From Inclement Devastating Tide It was only by chance that a fisherman happened to discover an endangered Chelonia mydas nesting for one of the first times ever on Boambee beach, but thanks to his diligence, Mick Phillips reported the nest to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). However, dangerous weather conditions were creating what is known as

New Zealand Backyard Transformed Into A Turtle Paradise Many pet turtles have made their way into homes all over the world, but not many have had such a life-changing affect on one person’s life as this turtle did to Sheryl Wishnowsky, a resident of Feilding, New Zealand. What started as a tank in the living room blossomed into the Turtle Rescue Manawatu, which now houses

Survival Of Sea Turtles From The Great Barrier Reef Hangs In The Balance As Temperatures Rise Temperature sex determination may be commonly utilized in captive propagation, but for some sea turtles who call the Australian coast their home, this is not such a good thing. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California State University and Worldwide Fund for Nature Australia recently determined that

Massive Sea Turtle Release Following Unexpected Dangerous Winter Storm No one was prepared for the winter storm that slammed into the gulf coast these past two weeks, and neither were the sea turtles. Record cold temperatures resulted in hundreds of cold-stunned victims of the elements, and volunteers as well as staff worked tirelessly to rescue each and every turtle, warming them up in specially-designed incubators

Former New-Yorker Transforms His Homesite Into A Haven For Gopherus polyphemus Deep in the backwoods of Cape Coral, Florida, lies one gem of an oasis. This might not appear impressive or awe-inspiring at first glance, but this inconspicuous piece of property is a haven for Gopherus polyphemus, thanks to one man’s passion and non-stop dedication to the preservation of this species and their critical habitat.