Celebrate World Turtle Day Every May 23

• By NSC
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Every May 23 we celebrate an animal that has existed for more than 200 million years but is now in danger of disappearing: The turtle.

For World Turtle Day, let’s vow not to let that happen.

This day started back in 2000, created by Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson. They are the founders of American Tortoise Rescue (ATR), which sponsors the day.

Their goal was to increase respect for and knowledge of the world’s oldest creatures.

 

Turtle, Tortoise, or Terrapin?

World Turtle Day celebrates turtles and tortoises (and terrapins, too!). Because tortoises are turtles. But turtles aren’t necessarily tortoises.

Sort of, anyway.

It’s a scientific naming thing. All three are reptiles (class Reptilia) belonging to the order Testudines. This order has also been called Chelonia, The word “turtle” has generally been used as the generic or common name for the entire order.

It’s only when we get into suborders and families that the difference matters. That’s when we start getting specific about whether an animal is a side-necked turtle, freshwater turtle, sea turtle, etc. And the genus gets even more specific.

But for World Turtle Day, none of that matters! Celebrate them all: turtles, tortoises and terrapins.

 

Why are Turtles and Tortoises in Danger?

We know of 328 species of turtle. About half of them are either threatened or endangered. And all of the seven species of marine turtles are threatened or endangered.

But why?

 

In a word: Humans

Our fondness for more space, exotic foods and exotic pets has done two things that make it hard for turtles to survive:

• Destroyed much of their habitat
• Removed adult animals from the wild

 

The different turtle species have different habitats. Some live in the sea (Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, for example), others in fresh water (like red-eared sliders). Still others live on land but need to be near water (like the box turtle). When we pollute waterways or build our beach-front homes we cause problems for our turtle friends.

When we capture adult turtles in the wild—to sell as pets or as food—we reduce the number of breeding animals. As the numbers drop, the remaining animals can’t breed fast enough to replace their numbers. And when the number of animals in an area gets too low, even the remaining breeding animals may not be able to find each other to do what they need to do.

Then the population in that area slowly dies out.

When we collect wild turtle eggs to eat (or hatch), we can often make the problem worse. We’ve not only taken away the adults, we’ve taken away any chance for the babies to grow up and keep the population alive. (In some cases, collecting eggs might be a good thing—watch the video near the end of this page to see how.)

For marine turtles, getting caught in fishing nets is a major problem.

 

Climate Change

Climate change is also a problem for the turtles. They need a certain temperature range to live.

Turtles can’t regulate their own body temperatures, so they need heat from the sun to get and stay warm. But they also need to be able to find cool spots so they don’t get overheated. This way of regulating body temperature is called ectothermic.

And hibernating species need to be able to count on winters staying cold enough to not wake them up. If the weather gets too warm in winter, they may wake up and use up their fat stores. Then if they can’t find any food, they may starve to death before spring.

But it also can’t get so cold they freeze to death. This can happen if it gets cold enough for the frost line to get down to their underground burrow.

And climate change is causing higher high temperatures and lower low temperatures. So it’s getting harder for our turtle friends to consistently find their preferred temperature ranges.

Also, the temperature of the nest determines if the babies turn out male or female. As temperatures rise around the world, more and more nests will incubate at higher temperatures. And that means more girls. In fact, one green sea turtle population in Australia is already almost all female.

Did you ever realize what a delicate balance turtle survival really is?

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this unofficial reptilian holiday.

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Celebrating World Turtle Day

Have a pet turtle? Give him an extra treat today.

Want a pet turtle? Adopt one (or more!) from a rescue group. You can find turtles available for adoption on Petfinder. Just pick “Scales, Fins & Others” in the drop-down menu under Type.

 

Vow to Help Protect Turtles and Tortoises

Even little things can help:

• Don’t buy turtles from pet stores, which often get their turtles from the wild.
• Never capture a wild turtle or tortoise. The only exception is if they’re sick or injured, and then find a rescue group to care for it.
• Help turtles cross the street safely. But always move it in the direction it was going. If you put it back where it came from, it will most likely just try crossing again as soon as you leave. The next person to find it might not be as caring as you.
• If you see tortoises or turtles less than four inches for sale, report it. This is illegal in all states.
• Don’t leave trash on the beach (where sea turtles nest), and follow any lighting restrictions (so you don’t disorient the hatchlings).
• Keep an eye out for sea turtles if you’re boating near their homes.
• If you need to get rid of a pet turtle, don’t just let it go. Captive turtles may not be able to survive in the wild, especially if your turtle isn’t native to your area.

 

Donate to Turtle Conservation

Donate to a turtle rescue or conservation group. Or more general wildlife groups that also work to save turtles.

• The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): This organization works to protect wildlife around the world, including Hawksbill and Leatherback sea turtles.
• American Tortoise Rescue (sponsor of World Turtle Day): The rescue’s mission is “to stop the illegal trade in turtles and tortoises around the world. It has saved more than 3,000 of them since it began in 1990. The rescue also participates in the Amazon Smile program, where you can help just by shopping at Amazon (which you do anyway, right?).
• The Turtle Hospital: A hospital just for sea turtles, whose mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release (if possible) sick and injured animals. The hospital also puts on educational events and helps with research on how to help sea turtles.
• Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group (TTPG): This group was founded in 1996 “to help ensure survival of the world’s turtle and tortoise species.” Follow their activities on the TTPG Facebook page.

 

Please note that although we believe the listed organizations are reputable, we have not thoroughly investigated them. It’s always a good idea to do your own due diligence before donating to any group. That way you can try to make sure they’re using the money in ways you approve of.

 

Show Off Your Love of Turtles

You can find all kinds of knick-knacks for turtle lovers. Some useful, others just for fun. Get one for yourself or for a turtle-loving friend:

• Turtle Lovers Parking Sign
• OOUSE Turtle Optical Mouse: Finally! A computer mouse (turtle!) that’s cute.
• Magnetic Turtles Salt and Pepper Shaker Set

 

Learn More About Turtles and Conservation

There are lots of books about turtles. Some cover turtles in general, others focus on specific species. You can learn about how turtles live in the wild, or what pet turtles need.

• Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation, by James R. Spotila
• Encyclopedia of Turtles, by Dr. Peter C.H. Pritchard: A bit old (from 1979), but still informative and entertaining for any turtle enthusiast.
• Turtles of the World, by Franck Bonin, Bernard Devaux, and Alain Dupré (translated by Peter C.H. Pritchard): A comprehensive guide to most of the world’s turtle species.
• National Geographic Readers: Sea Turtles: A great way to introduce kids to the wonders of the sea turtles.
• Turtle: Amazing Photos & Fun Facts About Turtles for Kids: Learn about different kinds of turtles.

 

Can you tell the difference between a turtle and a tortoise? Learn how in this video:

 

Conserving turtle populations can take many forms. On one beach in Costa Rica, researchers and locals have teamed up to protect turtle populations by making limited egg collection legal. This sounds backwards, but the video explains why it could work.

 

Learn about the problem of dumping your pet turtles in the wild:

 

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