Michaela Wiersema

Another Conservation Success Story for a U.K. Zoo Did you know that there are approximately only 60 Cuora galbinifrons kept in zoos around the globe? One of these zoos is the Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in the U.K. Just recently this zoo successfully hatched two eggs from the galbinifrons, the second success since 2013. Paignton zoo currently keeps five mature adults, with one of the […]

The Secretive Turtle of the Salt Marshes Did you know that there is a North American turtle species that has adapted to saltwater habitats? The Diamond-back Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) thrives in the brackish waters of the Staten Island salt marshes. These turtles have a unique pattern on the carapace, similar to a human fingerprint in that none of them are alike. In the late 1800’s,

Explore the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project You might be surprised if you happen to stay at the Burj Al Arab hotel for a night. What you may not realize is that you will be sharing the hotel with some endangered sea turtles; in fact, the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP) operates from the hotel, and have released more than 100 sea turtles back into their

Frankenturtles Could Help Save Sea Turtles Professor David Kaplan is doing the unthinkable. He and his graduate student Bianca Santos came up with an unusual idea to provide insight on the reasons why so many sea turtles perish in the Chesapeake Bay. The plan? To use turtle carcasses to track the effects of various factors which play into turtle mortality. Tragically, the death toll is

Concerning Reports on Ontario’s Native Turtles Can you imagine purchasing a turtle in a grocery store in London? Well, that’s the plight of some unfortunate Apalone spinifera, which as a matter of fact, are now considered endangered in Ontario. A major threat to these turtles is poaching, and of the eight native turtle species in Ontario, three are now endangered with Apalone spinifera being the

Critically Endangered Tortoises Stolen From Breeding Center There is bad news for some critically endangered tortoises in the Si Racha district, Chon Buri province. It has been reported that six Astrochelys yniphora and 72 Astrochelys radiata were stolen from Bang Phra Water Bird Breeding Station last month. These tortoises were being cared for at the bird breeding center following their confiscation from poachers. This news

Tortoise Undergoes Amamzing Unexpected Surgery Could a tortoise possibly require a hysterectomy? Well that’s what one tortoise in the UK needed after a build-up of eggs was discovered in her uterus. Apparently this female was mistaken to be a male, until she was taken to Vets for Pets in Maldon for a regular examination after arriving at Hopefield Animal Sanctuary. It is unknown how long

Sea Turtle Butchered in the Solomon Islands It was midnight on May 3 that PT-160051 went missing. PT-160051 was a sea turtle that had been fitted with a special radio-tracking device to moniter her progress. This wasn’t to be the only casualty, however. Less than 24 hours later, a second turtle was lost to poachers. Poaching continues to be a major threat to hawksbill sea

Western Pond Turtles to be Released into Yosemite The Western Pond Turtle, Actinemys marmorata, is one of the many species native to the famous California Yosemite National Park; however, this species is highly threatened by deforestation as well as predators. The Yosemite National Park is working closely with the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens to conserve this species as well as protect its critical ecosystem.