Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all creatures on this planet!

And to all...

Good News in Costa Rica

In November 2019, never-before-seen swarms of thousands of sea turtles were filmed off the coast of Ostional National Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica. The conservation efforts of the Wildlife Conservation Association have helped one of the densest populations of sea turtles on the planet.

Learn more about the Wildlife Conservation Assoc in Costa Rica!

'Tis the Season

For all turtle-related gifts!

The Turtle Wax Story

Why is America’s favorite game show consolation prize called “Turtle Wax”?

Benjamin Hirsch started mixing up batches of his special formula liquid car polish in his Chicago bathtub in 1945. He called his product Plastone, and as the company’s only employee he was the sole member of the sales force. His tried and true method of selling Plastone was going to a large venue – like the parking lot of Wrigley Field – and shining the fenders of parked cars. When the owners returned to their vehicles, they were usually so impressed with the beautiful sheen that they purchased Hirsch’s product.

One day in the early 1950s, Hirsch was headed home after a sales call in Wisconsin. He stopped to rest at a tranquil place called Turtle Creek. According to company lore, it occurred to him that Plastone gave a car a shine that was as reflective as the water of Turtle Creek. He further reasoned that his polish gave cars a wax coating as tough as a turtle shell, and promptly renamed his product Turtle Wax.

Endangered Loggerheads Begin a Comeback

Good news! In 2016, 6,446 loggerhead sea turtle nests were laid on South Carolina beaches. This year, 8,857 nests were.

To read more about this species, click here.

That number — a preliminary figure of 525,540 emerged eggs —  tells the success of a largely volunteer program that has helped to bring the loggerhead back from a threatening decline.

Fun Turtle Videos!

BFFs

Friends come in all shapes and sizes.

Painted Turtles

The painted turtle is an aquatic turtle species most commonly found in and around slow moving bodies of water. This fella is of the Eastern Painted variety.

Generally, female painted turtles grow to be larger (about one foot) than their male counterparts. When provided with a proper diet and care, painted turtles can live for 25 to 30 years, with some of the oldest living to be nearly fifty.

My Scary Cousin - Alligator Snapping Turtle

This friendly, handsome fella, the Alligator Snapping Turtle, was found in the middle of the road somewhere in Oklahoma by a biker, who was treated to this giant smile when he tried to move him to safety in the grass. Note the spikes on his neck. Ouch!

The alligator snapper keeps to primarily southern U.S. waters. They have a large, heavy head, and a long, thick shell with three dorsal ridges of large scales giving it a primitive appearance reminiscent of some of the plated dinosaurs. They have three distinct rows of spikes and raised plates on the carapace, whereas the common snapping turtle has a smoother carapace. They are a solid gray, brown, black, or olive-green in color, and often covered with algae.

Alligator snapping turtles can range in length from 16 to 32 inches and weigh up to 175 lbs. They will eat almost anything they can catch. Snapping turtles can remain submerged underwater for up to three hours at a time. Look at this adorable baby alligator snapper!

Dusty, The Warrior Turtle

It's Renaissance Fair Season!

Don't "BRAKE" the Turtles!

"BRAKE" for them! It's that time of year where do our egg laying and often need to cross the road, so if you wouldn't mind slowing down a bit...

Zen Terp

make room on the yoga mat for me

Ah, the Colors of Nature

Yertle the Turtle

From the collection of Dr. Seuss:

On the far-away island of Sala-ma-Sond,
Yertle the Turtle was king of the pond.
A nice little pond. It was clean. It was neat.
The water was warm. There was plenty to eat.
The turtles had everything turtles might need.
And they were all happy. Quite happy indeed.

...Then Yertle the Turtle was perched up so high,
He could see forty miles from his throne in the sky!
“Hooray!” shouted Yertle. “I’m the king of the trees!
I’m king of the birds! And I’m king of the bees!
I’m king of the butterflies! King of the air!
Ah, me! What a throne! What a wonderful chair!
I’m Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me!
For I am the ruler of all that I see!”

Henrí Waxes Poetic

My Cousin - The Egyptian Tortoise

The Egyptian Tortoise (also known as the Kleinmann's Tortoise), is a critically endangered, neck-hiding tortoise with its numbers now dwindling. The Egyptian Tortoise is one hard-core turtle, living in deserts and semi-arid habitats, usually with compact sand and gravel plains, scattered rocks, shallow, dry woodlands, shrubby areas and coastal salt marsh habitats. They are least active when it is very cold or very hot. During the colder months, they are out most during midday. During the warm season, they are active in the morning and evening. The rest of the day is spent under brushes or in rodent burrows. They become sexually mature between 10-20 years old.

The female tortoises are larger than the males; males are more slender and have a longer tail. Their shells have high domes, and range in color from ivory to pale gold to dark brown or dull yellow, which helps regulate the impact of sunlight and its stay in the desert heat. It's shell is an effective camouflage in the desert.

The species is extinct in Egypt, and global extinction is a looming threat unless more actions are taken to protect this species. Habitat loss and illegal pet trade are huge issues facing this species and while their population is still on the decline, the risk of complete extinction is very real if habitat degradation and illegal trade continue at their present rate.

This Turtle Goes Go Pro!

Visit the underpond world of the local turtles!

Dogs ♥ Turtles

Dogs across America are being trained to save rare turtle species.

Click here to read the whole story.

Lost, then Found

Back in 1982, the Almeida Family was saddened to learn that their beloved pet, Manuela, a young red-footed tortoise, had gone missing. Their house was under renovation at the time, so the family just assumed that the tortoise had slipped out through a gate left open by the construction crew.

The true fate of their lost pet remained a mystery for the next 30 years, that is, until they were met with an unexpected surprise.

Read the story here.

Happy 4th of July!

Meet Jonathan, the Oldest Known Tortoise

Jonathan, who is a Seychelles giant tortoise, lived to see it all. At around 187 years old, he’s now the oldest-known animal in the world — and he’s living a relaxing life on the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic, where he’s been since the late 1880s. Read more about Jonathan by clicking here.

World Sea Turtle Day

Here are some links to nature sites that will inspire you:

The Turtle Conservancy
https://www.turtleconservancy.org/

Maldivian Sea Turtle Conservation Program
http://marinesavers.com/turtle-conservation/

Sea Turtle Conservancy
https://conserveturtles.org/

Turtle Rescue League
http://www.turtlerescueleague.com/

International Union for Conservation of Nature
http://www.iucnredlist.org/

Hardcore Homey

Rockin' Out on a Hot Rock

Yummy Turtle Sandwiches

The Turtles Sing "Happy Together"

Even Anderson Loves Us

I'm relieved to know that some Hollywood-types get it.

Behind-the-Scene Slowsky Flirt

Go Zippy Go!

This is the fastest soft-shelled turtle I've ever seen! Check him out!

Dutch Turtle Haus

Dutch architecture firm specializes in organic design and this turtle house in Sweden is the best ever. Its head portion of the house even recedes into itself!

To see the interior and learn more, click here.

Getting Back to Slowsky

If you are old like me, you'd remember when terps took over the airwaves to promote Comcast, when DSL was the "fastest" internet out there...

Diamond Terrapin Facts

Turtle Trafficking is Real

Diamondback terrapins, a species native to the East Coast, is in sharp decline because the hatchlings can bring in thousands of dollars in sales. In New Jersey, it’s illegal to take or transport the semi-aquatic turtle. And, federally, it’s illegal to misrepresent such sales. Click here to read this story.

Nope.

I don't like how things are going.

Post Modern Turt Art

Check Out ABV's Turtle Conservation Project!

Consider spending a few weeks participating in A Broader View's "Sea Turtle Conservation Volunteer Program" in spectacular Costa Rica. Experience not required and open to all age groups.  Click here for more details and to sign up!

Learn more about A Broader View's great volunteer programs here.

The Love They Lost

Galápagos tortoises Bibi and Poldi called it quits after nearly 100 years together! Read more about the breakup here.

When Two Merge into One

Turtles are Neat