Rodney Lewis

Chelydra serpentina found in Montezuma Well He doesn’t have a name yet, but the snapper turtle found on April 13 at Montezuma Well National Monument is now at his new home in the Phoenix Zoo. Nobody at USGS knows precisely how long the 40-pound snapper turtle was at Montezuma Well before a volunteer spotted him in the well’s ditch about two weeks ago. Later that […]

The Chelonoidis nigra in the USA Soupios has spent years studying Galápagos tortoises, and easily rattles off facts about their history in the wild—from past and present population figures to the latest efforts by scientists and nonprofit organizations to replenish their numbers. He says he keeps them out of a concern for the species’s conservation. His tortoises appear healthy and content—a reflection of their keeper’s

Dahanu rehab centre in India to receive upgrade The centre currently treats 60 turtles a year, but has basic facilities and the forest department has plans to set up a state-of-the-art turtle rescue rehabilitation and awareness centre at Dahanu. There has been a rapid increase in the number of turtles getting washed ashore on the coastal stretch and there is a need to upgrade the

USFSM researcher, students assess tortoises’ campus habitat The gopher tortoises that inhabit six acres at USF Sarasota-Manatee’s entrance were once a source of concern to environmentalists as construction got underway for the new campus. Now the creatures are under the watchful eye of a USFSM researcher and group of students. Dr. Banner and her students started mapping the burrows and identifying forage plants after she

Students successfully push for ‘turtle crossing’ signs Two eighth-graders are working with local governments to help turtles survive treacherous roadway crossings during mating season. Students at Prairie Crossing Charter School in Grayslake — have persuaded officials in Fremont Township and Gurnee to install “turtle crossing” signs warning drivers on roads near turtle habitats. “We were told we could do anything to help our community, so

Reef diver finds missing sea turtle transmitter A satellite transmitter crucial to the Bermuda Turtle Project has been found by a reef diver in the Bahamas. According to the Bermuda Zoological Society, the recovery has enabled them to put together a “remarkably complete” track of Hardy’s migration — although the turtle’s whereabouts today remains a mystery. Describing Hardy’s progress in a press release, BZS stated:

MEDASSET launches new online game “TEAM TURTLE” The international environmental NGO MEDASSET (Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles), launched an online game called “TEAM TURTLE” at the 37th International Sea Turtle Symposium (15 – 20 April 2017, Las Vegas Nevada, USA). The game which is aimed at 5-8 year olds enables the young players to take on the role of “rescuer” or “helper”. They

Logging threatens breeding turtles New research by the University of Exeter and the Doñana Biological Station in Seville, Spain, has found that debris on beaches caused by logging activity is impacting both young turtles and their mothers during the key periods of their life cycles. To nest and breed successfully, females must be able to cross the sandy beaches to dig their nest to successfully

Meet the Kiwi at the centre of turtle conservation in Queensland, Australia Meet the Kiwi turtle whisperer. Patrick Couper, originally from Wellington, is the curator of reptiles and amphibians at the Queensland Museum in Brisbane. Taxidermy was an early interest and Couper would try his hand at preserving creatures he found as roadkill. At the World Science Festival in March, he was the public face