Euthanasia Might Be The Only Solution
Approximately 75 red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans are currently living in a pond in Pennsylvania. The major problem is that this species is considered as invasive in the state since it is not native to Pennsylvania. The major risk for the local painted turtle is the transmission of disease due to the overpopulation of the red-eared slider. “Though plans have not yet been finalized, members of the Committee and the garden/greenhouse who have worked with consulting veterinarians and live animal research specialists at Penn, consider euthanasia of the red-eared sliders to be the most ethical and legal way to resolve the overpopulation issue and restore the health of the pond.”
Turtle News From Around the World
Conservation
260 eggs of rare turtles smuggled were confiscated
Hybrid green sea turtle and a hawksbill turtle released to the ocean
Release of a loggerhead turtle gathered more than 100 people
India plan to release 15,000 sea turtles
Biology
A new turtle taxon reveals the oldest known dispersal event of the crown Pleurodira from Gondwana to Laurasia
Blog
Loggerhead turtle hatchlings
Ecology
Very interesting Gopher tortoise relocation
Miscellany
Conwy estuary’s taunting terrapin finally snared by RSPB staff
Turtle saved by tourists
Species Facts…
Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii ) Although hunting first depleted their numbers, todays major threats include habitat loss, pollution, and entanglement in shrimping nets. Mexico first protected Kemp’s ridleys in the 1960s. In the United States, Kemp’s ridley turtle was first listed under the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1970 and subsequently under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973.
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Photo from Tiffany Pham.
