Celebrate World Turtle Day!

by poolparty | May 23, 2008 at 09:13 am

2667 views | 4 Recommendations | 92 comments

Turtles, turtles, turtles…May 23rd is World Turtle Day! Today we can not only celebrate turtles, but also educate ourselves on protecting them from serious threats. Sea turtles are one of the most endangered animals on the planet.

Turtles are one of the most charming symbols of America's native wildlife. May 23 has been designated World Turtle Day to bring attention to the needs of these creatures and highlight what we can to do help them survive and thrive.

World Turtle Day was initiated in 2000 by the American Tortoise Rescue, a turtle and tortoise rescue organization founded in 1990 in Malibu, California. The group brings attention to turtle conservation issues and highlights ways each of us can help protect these gentle but jeopardized animals. In the spirit of World Turtle Day, we at The HSUS also have suggested actions you can take to honor these fascinating creatures.

Turtles are one of the most endearing and symbolic of America's native wildlife. Turtles not only fascinate each passing generation of children, who find endless wonders under those hard shells, but they also continue to serve as a timeless role model in children's literature: the slow and steady turtle, whose patient progress always wins out against his fast but feckless competitor.

Yet the turtles' lofty status hasn't prevented humans from abusing the creature. In fact, all land, freshwater, and sea turtles are facing imminent threats to their survival, simply because of human activities. Turtles are the reptile most affected by the pet trade, not to mention the food and traditional medicine industries. Many turtle species also suffer from the effects of pollution as well as from the destructive effects of industrial fishing operations.

Despite these hardships, May is a busy month for turtles. Many have recently emerged from winter hibernation and are beginning their search for mates and nesting areas. For this reason, May 23 was designated World Turtle Day.

Some interesting facts about turtles and tortoises:

Turtles have been on the earth for more than 200 million years. They evolved before mammals, birds, crocodiles, snakes, and even lizards.

The earliest turtles had teeth and could not retract their heads, but other than this, modern turtles are very similar to their original ancestors.

Several species of turtles can live to be over a hundred years of age including the American Box Turtle.

One documented case of longevity involves an adult Indian Ocean Giant Tortoise that when captured as an adult was estimated to be fifty years old. It then lived another 152 years in captivity.

Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica.

Turtles will live in almost any climate warm enough to allow them to complete their breeding cycle.

While most turtles do not tolerate the cold well, the Blanding's turtle has been observed swimming under the ice in the Great Lakes region.

Turtles range in size from the 4-inch Bog Turtle to the 1500-pound Leathery Turtle.

North America contains a large variety of turtle species, but Europe contains only two species of turtle and three species of tortoise.

The top domed part of a turtle's shell is called the carapace and the bottom underlying part is called the plastron.

The shell of a turtle is made up of 60 different bones all connected together.

The bony portion of the shell is covered with plates (scutes) that are derivatives of skin and offer additional strength and protection.

Most land tortoises have high domed carapaces that offer protection from the snapping jaws of terrestrial predators. Aquatic turtles tend to have flatter more aerodynamically shaped shells. An exception to the dome-shaped tortoise shell is the Pancake Tortoise of East Africa that will wedge itself between narrow rocks when threatened and then inflates itself with air making extraction nearly impossible.

Most turtle species have five toes on each limb with a few exceptions including the American Box Turtle of the carolina species that only has four toes, and in some cases, only three.

Turtles have good eyesight and an excellent sense of smell. Hearing and sense of touch are both good and even the shell contains nerve endings.

Some aquatic turtles can absorb oxygen through the skin on their neck and cloacal areas allowing them to remain submerged underwater for extended periods of time and enabling them to hibernate underwater.

Turtles are one of the oldest and most primitive groups of reptiles and have outlived many other species. One can only wonder if their unique shell is responsible for their success.

451

6 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | Digg | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

jordan

at 09:41 on May 23rd, 2008

... I like turtles!

michelle.sundvick

at 09:53 on May 23rd, 2008

meeeee tooo!! especially franklin =)

HollyMcCaig

at 10:04 on May 23rd, 2008

I had no clue it was World Turtle Day - how lucky for me! :)

HollyMcCaig has contributed a photo to this story.

HollyMcCaig

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 10:08 on May 23rd, 2008

Steph02, I like this story. It's good stuff.

loveitaly

at 10:12 on May 23rd, 2008

I had no clue it was either...go figure!

www.abrushwithcolor.blogspot.com

KikkaSuperstar

at 10:15 on May 23rd, 2008

Hi!!!!!

KikkaSuperstar has contributed a photo to this story.

Momboleum

at 11:18 on May 23rd, 2008

We were going out to dinner when we saw the turtle in my pictures trying to cross a busy rural road. My husband gave it a lift to the other side. Yay turtles! Happy Turtle Day!

TerceraFundación

at 12:22 on May 23rd, 2008

TerceraFundación has contributed a photo to this story.

DigiDragon

at 12:48 on May 23rd, 2008

These turtles (which are about six feet long) were well cared for at the Xcaret Natural Adventure Park, along with many other turtles. It was wonderful to see them all protected and raised in a healthy environment. These two seemed to be performing some kind of mating ritual, moving gracefully, together, beneath the shallow waters of their home.

DigiDragon has contributed a photo to this story.

Cameron Darlirace

at 12:57 on May 23rd, 2008

My friends and I were in Spruce Woods Provincial Park and one found a baby turtle. While everyone else was looking at it, the first thing I thought to do was take a picture, which you now see by clicking the link.

Cameron Darlirace has contributed a photo to this story.

starmeluv

at 12:58 on May 23rd, 2008

I always walk along the pond / river I'm not exactly sure what it is... though it runs through Norman, Oklahoma, there are all sorts of turtles that live in the river. We were about a mile away from the "Duck Pond" area, the old golf course at University of Oklahoma campus (same water source). This big guy was hanging out with a much smaller Red-Eared slider, when he/she saw us he jumped into the water... This pond also has huge fish, beavers, geese, ducks, alligator snapper turtles.

starmeluv has contributed a photo to this story.

EarthRehab

at 13:33 on May 23rd, 2008

The politics of the Endangered Species Act and Sea Turtles is a Call to Action for 2008 Beach Re-nourishment projects and Voluntary Ocean Pollution.

As shown on the web-site GreenReality a Beach Re-nourishment project happened this year during Nesting Season in North Palm Beach. (approved)

http://greenreality.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/the-politics-of-the-endangered-species-act-sea-turtles/

Absolutely rediculous.

We need to protect Loggerhead, Hawksbill, Green Sea, and Kemps Ridley Turtles for our future,

Support Nature Research today.

Jon Inghram

at 13:38 on May 23rd, 2008

A Western Painted Turtle laying eggs

Jon Inghram has contributed a photo to this story.

youshigal

at 13:39 on May 23rd, 2008

This is a gopher turtle my kids found in the yard. We looked it up and learned about them and then released it in the field next door.

youshigal has contributed a photo to this story.

Benny Vision

at 14:11 on May 23rd, 2008

To me, my photo looked like i was really small, in the jungle, with a large dinosaur reaching his head up to see in the distance, not noticing me. In reality, it's only a small turtle in 6 inch tall grass but that turtle was still fun to watch, they really are special in the way they move and interact! We are VERY careful mowing the lawn in high grass, don't wanna overlook any creatures, there all welcome in our yard!

Benny Vision has contributed a photo to this story.

Penny74

at 14:27 on May 23rd, 2008

Hi! I'm an Emys orbicularis from ponds of Castelporziano (Rome, Italy).

Penny74 has contributed a photo to this story.

nic-name

at 14:44 on May 23rd, 2008

This is a Green turtle. This species is hunted largely for the cartilaginous tissue in its shell. This is the primary ingredient in turtle soup. Most of the animals captured for this purpose are still alive when their shells are cut off to get at the cartilage. It's hard to imagine a more gruesome death.

The turtle answers to the name "Puppi". She was purchased and imported from Asia 25 years ago as a living souvenir. Once the originally palm-sized hatchling became too large for her owner to handle, she ended up at the Aqua Terra Zoo. Since 1982, the animal keepers have spoiled Puppi by petting her and giving her treats. Her former owner imprinted her on humans: she took the turtle out of the water every day, put it on her lap, cuddled and otherwise spoiled it.
This explains why this sea turtle is completely tame, a trait that would quickly prove deadly in the wild.

nic-name has contributed a photo to this story.

andromeda2006

at 15:03 on May 23rd, 2008

I have always loved turtles---had them as pets when I was a child and had some box turtles once that would come to me when I brought them strawberries or crushed snails----always stop my car to rescue them from highways whenever possible.

Mark G. Elliott Photography

at 15:20 on May 23rd, 2008

I photographed this turtle, (which sadly) was in captivity at The Detroit Zoo. Zoo's provide all of us the chance to view and photograph, animals we may not otherwise see. I understand that. I just can never get over my feeling that, no living, breathing creature should be in captivity. Mark G. Elliott

Mark G. Elliott Photography has contributed a photo to this story.

jmbfishes

at 15:21 on May 23rd, 2008

Softshell Turtle in a Maitland, Florida lake.

jmbfishes has contributed a photo to this story.

divine illuzion

at 15:23 on May 23rd, 2008

Well, I can tell you about this concrete turtle from the foto, that is somekind of ninja turtle - she's very nimble and climbs absolutely vertical surfaces :)

divine illuzion has contributed a photo to this story.

Ors_in_bw

at 15:46 on May 23rd, 2008

Ors_in_bw has contributed a photo to this story.

Lola34

at 16:01 on May 23rd, 2008

The Atocha train station in Madrid, Spain, has an incredible indoor terrarium of sorts, with lots of plants and turtle pond at one end. There were dozens of these little guys enjoying life amid their lily pads when I was there in May 2008.

Lola34 has contributed a photo to this story.

Annmarie Philbin

at 16:09 on May 23rd, 2008

the turtles in my photo are from "atocha" as well!

happy turtle day!

lovedreko

at 16:44 on May 23rd, 2008

This is Tommy the turtle! She is about 9 years old now. Thanks for publishing my photo!

lovedreko has contributed a photo to this story.

HollisPetrescu

at 16:55 on May 23rd, 2008

This turtle was found in the garden. We brought him in to show him to our son, thinking he would hide in his shell. Instead he wandered all over the room, looking around. We let him go near the compost pile.

HollisPetrescu has contributed a photo to this story.

kmf221

at 17:05 on May 23rd, 2008

On the quieter, more out of the way trails, sometimes you get to be a little closer to the wildlife in Prospect Park. You forget you're in New York.

kmf221 has contributed a photo to this story.

Two Starving Artists

at 17:17 on May 23rd, 2008

This little guy was at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. He seemed extraordinarily friendly and kept swimming up to the glass to see us.

Two Starving Artists has contributed a photo to this story.

CadyLy

at 17:27 on May 23rd, 2008

This was a cute little turtle playing in the duck weed and vegetation in the Audubon Swamp Garden at Magnolia Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina.

CadyLy has contributed a photo to this story.