turtles

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

Authorities: Woman Tried to Smuggle Turtles by Kayak

China's Wan Yee Ng, 41, was attempting to cross a Vermont lake into Canada, per Border Patrol

(Newser) - A woman from China pleaded guilty on Friday to attempting to smuggle 29 eastern box turtles, a protected species, across a Vermont lake into Canada by kayak. The AP reports that Wan Yee Ng, 41, was arrested on the morning of June 28 at an Airbnb in Canaan, Vermont, as...

Aquarium Overwhelmed by Hundreds of Baby Sea Turtles

Sea turtle hatchlings got caught up in a storm off South Africa, leaving them sick and injured

(Newser) - An aquarium in South Africa is stretched beyond capacity after more than 500 baby sea turtles were washed up on beaches by a rare and powerful storm and rescued by members of the public. The little turtles are mostly endangered loggerheads and should be cruising the ocean, per the AP...

For Green Sea Turtles, a Big Problem: Too Many Girls
Pollution Has Unexpected
Effect on Green Sea Turtles
new study
Nov 27, 2023 11:48 AM CST

Pollution Has Unexpected Effect on Green Sea Turtles

Researchers say it's helping create too many females

(Newser) - For male green sea turtles, it's the second part of a double whammy they could ill afford. A new study suggests that ocean pollution is contributing to a serious gender imbalance—way too many females are being born and way too few males, reports Science Alert . As the Washington ...

CDC: 'Don't Kiss or Snuggle Your Turtle'
CDC: Stop Kissing Turtles
Aug 23, 2023 3:34 PM CDT

CDC: Stop Kissing Turtles

Small turtles have been linked to salmonella outbreak in 11 states

(Newser) - Kissing a turtle won't transform it into a slow-moving prince—and according to a Centers for Disease of Control and Prevention warning, it could make you very sick. An outbreak investigation notice posted Wednesday warns that at least 26 people have been sickened and nine hospitalized in a multi-state...

Florida Gym Gets an Unexpected Visitor
Turtle's Visit to Gym
Goes Viral
Aug 9, 2023 1:05 PM CDT

Turtle's Visit to Gym Goes Viral

Iron Knight Gym in Port St. Lucie, Florida, had unexpected visitor

(Newser) - One of the perks of many gym memberships is the ability to occasionally bring in a friend on a guest pass. For this fitness center aficionado in Florida, however, no such pass was in their possession, and they were nobody's guest—but they wormed their way into the facility...

For Guardians of Rare Turtles, an Unprecedented Sight

Hatchlings of critically endangered species recorded emerging for the first time

(Newser) - Conservationists are celebrating an unprecedented sight in regard to a species of turtle on the brink of extinction: A batch of babies emerged from the mud in Myanmar, and their human guardians were able to record it for the first time in the wild, reports the New York Times . The...

Last Female's Death Spells Doom for Huge Turtles

Yangtze giant softshell turtle may not be around much longer

(Newser) - The Yangtze giant softshell turtle was hit with a brutal blow, reports LiveScience , when the last known female of the largest known freshwater species, a huge creature over 5 feet long and weighing in at 205 pounds, was found dead on the banks of Hanoi's Dong Mo Lake on...

Baby Turtle Survives Treacherous 4K-Mile Swim

Croga, which means 'brave' in Irish, drifted far off course, from Miami to Ireland

(Newser) - A father taking a stroll with his two daughters along the Irish coastline stumbled across what one expert is now calling an "absolute miracle." The Irish Mirror reports that the family was walking on the shore of the northwestern Mullet Peninsula in County Mayo when they came across...

53 Species Aren't Mute After All


53 Species
Aren't Mute
After All
new study
Nov 26, 2022 3:10 PM CST

53 Species Aren't Mute After All

Recordings show some turtles won't stop making noise

(Newser) - Turtles evolved millions of years ago and live in nearly every type of climate, according to Live Science , so it makes sense that they've have something to say. New research suggests they do, documenting noises made by 53 species—50 of them turtles—that had been thought to be...

Dozens of Dead Turtles Are Washing Up on This Beach

To blame? Plastics

(Newser) - The hawksbill sea turtle lay belly-up on the metal autopsy table, its shell ashen and stomach taut. A week ago, the adolescent turtle washed up on a beach in Kalba, a city on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates. Once unspoiled, the coast of mangrove trees is now...

After Ship Sinks, Dead Turtles With Throat Damage Wash Up

A dozen dolphins have been found dead as well

(Newser) - Nearly a hundred carcasses of turtles with throat and shell damage, as well as a dozen dead dolphins and a blue whale, have washed ashore in Sri Lanka since a container ship burned and sank , raising fears of a severe marine disaster. Ecologists believe the deaths were directly caused by...

After Oil Spill, Sea Turtles Are Fed Mayo as a Cure-All

It cleans their digestive tracts, say rescuers in Israel

(Newser) - When it comes to saving sea turtles, Israeli rescuers have discovered that mayonnaise is a miracle, per the AP . Employees at Israel's National Sea Turtle Rescue Center are treating endangered green sea turtles affected by a devastating oil spill that has coated Israel's coast with thick black tar....

Texans Are Rescuing Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles

Thousands have been brought to a convention center

(Newser) - Residents, some of whom lack heat or basic amenities in their own homes due to the unusually chilly weather, have been rescuing cold-stunned sea turtles and taking them to a convention center in a south Texas resort town. "Every 15 minutes or less there’s another truck or SUV...

With Tourists Gone, Record Number of Baby Turtles Hatch

In Mexican community, locals released 2,250-plus hatchlings into the sea; usually it's less than 1,000

(Newser) - The plight of the sea turtle in Mexico is so perilous that the country banned capturing and killing them 30 years ago. From late spring to early fall, one particularly vulnerable species lays its eggs on beaches throughout the nation, with nesting often disrupted by fishermen and tourists. This year,...

Fate of 'Map Turtles' May Hang on Feds' Decision

2 species in Mississippi and Louisiana will be considered for protection

(Newser) - The federal government says it will decide whether protection is needed for a freshwater turtle found only in Mississippi and a related species found in Mississippi and Louisiana, per the AP . The agreement settles a lawsuit filed in January calling for a declaration that Pearl River map turtles and Pascagoula...

Endangered Turtles Are Apparently Stolen From Zoo

They fetch high prices on the black market as pets

(Newser) - Endangered turtles that are in demand on the black market have vanished from a zoo in Japan. Officials assume the 64 turtles were stolen, the AFP reports. "We feed them twice a week, and a keeper noticed their number was clearly low," an official at the Okinawa Zoo...

Animal Rescue Group: We Need Your Old Bras

Rescue group in North Carolina says the fasteners can help mend broken turtle shells

(Newser) - A North Carolina animal rescue group is appealing to women not to throw out their old bras, but instead to send them—or at least the bra clasps—to their agency to help turtles with broken shells. Carolina Waterfowl Rescue of Charlotte is asking women through social media to remove...

There Were Only 4 of These Turtles Left. Now, 3

Last known female Yangtze softshell turtle dies at zoo in China

(Newser) - The only known female member of one of the world's rarest turtle species has died at a zoo in southern China, officials said Sunday. The animal was one of four Yangtze giant softshell turtles known to be remaining in the world. The Suzhou zoo, where the female turtle lived,...

Guy Abandons 1.5K Live Turtles at Airport

They were found in unclaimed suitcases

(Newser) - Customs officers at a Philippines airport got a surprise when they opened four abandoned suitcases: Inside were 1,529 live turtles and tortoises of assorted species, wrapped in duct tape, the BBC reports. They included rare and endangered species like star tortoises and sulcata tortoises. Officials estimate they could have...

Funky, Green-Haired Turtle Is in Trouble

Mary River Turtle of Australia is under threat of extinction

(Newser) - You'd think its punk-rock hair would be enough to bring an Australian turtle fans, even before they learn of its ability to breathe through its genitals. But if overlooked now, researchers hope the Mary River Turtle's spot on a list of unique, endangered reptiles will bring necessary attention...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Most Read on Newser