Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Pet Turtle Care: How Big is the Loggerhead Sea Turtle?

Pet Turtle Care

The only living member of the genus Caretta, the Loggerhead sea turtle can grow up to an intimidating 364 kg and 1.1 metres long. The species is so named for the turtle's over-large head punctuated by a set of strong jaws suitable for feeding on a wide range of sea life from mollusks (whelks and conch) to crustaceans (crabs and shrimp) to fish and jellyfish. They have also been known to consume small or immature marine animals such as sea birds and mammals.

Loggerheads have a large habitat ranging from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to the Indian Ocean. Atlantic migratory routes span from Newfoundland to Argentina with breeding and reproduction taking place in the warm waters of the southern hemisphere. Some Loggerheads are known to hibernate rather than pursue the challenging migratory patterns. For females this is most likely in the 2-3 year period between egg cycles.

The mating season spans several months - from March to June - and female egg laying continues into September. The nesting female will lay up to 150 eggs in deep nests which she digs in the soft sand of the same beach where she hatched 35 or more years earlier. She uses her flippers to cover the eggs, forming a protective mound that keeps the eggs safe from beach-going predators much, but not all, of the time. The tiny hatchings, which weigh about 20 grams and measure a scant 45 mm in length, emerge after a two-month incubation period. Those that make it from nest to sea and through the surf line to open water will swim for several days to find deep water downwellings that offer moderate protection from tossing seas in rich debris fields of seaweed and other floating materials.

As with all eco-sensitive species, the Loggerhead populations have been in decline for decades. Annual nesting estimates worldwide reveal fewer than 150,000 nests per year in all traditional Loggerhead nesting areas. Adults easily become ensnared in gill nets, long-lines, traps and pots. Dredging also claims a number of turtles each year.

The large migratory territories of the Loggerhead require global cooperation to ensure that protective efforts will be successful. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna makes trade of any part of this species unlawful, affording it some protection from human predation. Several countries share agreements that expand protection for the feeding and nesting areas and many have imposed bans on shrimp to force changes in the trawling gear to make it less hazardous to Loggerheads and other routinely ensnared deep sea turtle species.

Conservation efforts include the hatch and release of nests that are discovered in threatened or unsuitable areas. The eggs are carefully counted and transported to an incubation facility. The young are raised until they are strong enough to survive on their own and released into the ocean from the same beach that housed their nest. This imprints the hatchling on the spot and increases the likelihood that it will return to continue the cycle when it reaches sexual maturity three and a half decades later.

Pet Turtle Care: Saving Sea Turtles From Extinction

Pet Turtle Care

Improper outdoor lighting is one of the greatest issues affecting sea turtles - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Let's face it... light pollution and sea turtles just don't go together. Many species are on the verge of extinction... and improper outdoor lighting is a major cause. Not quite sure how this can be? Let's look into this a little further...

Female turtles return to the same area to nest each year. If they return and find bright outdoor lighting, one of two things happens.

1) The female will simply swim on by... essentially removing herself from the breeding population

2) She lays her eggs, and then several weeks later the hatchlings emerge under cover of darkness and begin their journey to the sea. They've evolved through millions of years to seek out the brightest horizon. This is generally the ocean... with crashing surf and moon and star light reflecting on the water. Unfortunately, if bright lights were installed along with some recent development, the hatchlings emerge and crawl towards the bright lights... and away from the ocean and a chance at survival. These then get run over by cars as they cross streets, wander till exhausted and are eaten by predators or simply roast in their own shells in the heat of the sun. In excess of 80% of hatchlings can die on light polluted beaches.

Many communities have enacted outdoor lighting regulations designed to come to the aid of declining sea turtle populations. These generally require the use of full cutoff fixtures. Full cutoff fixtures simply control the output of light... forcing it down towards the ground where its needed... and preventing it from shining up into the night sky... or horizontally when it can cross property lines... and illuminate turtle nesting beaches.

Starry Night Lights has a greatly expanded selection of turtle friendly outdoor lighting solutions. Working with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, they've combined the largest selection of full cutoff outdoor lights with "monochromatic" turtle friendly lights to offer a number of solutions to communities that border sea turtle nesting areas. They offer bollards, wall packs and pole mounted solutions for businesses and municipalities as well as a huge selection of fixtures for homeowners and condo associations. The combination of full cutoff fixtures and monochromatic lights has been found to be least disruptive to sea turtle hatchlings.

Pet Turtle Care: Vacations That Make a Difference - Save Sea Turtles

Pet Turtle Care

This year, 2010, is the year to make a difference; this means in every area of our life, including vacations. How great to experience one of the great vacation spots in the world and also give back with volunteer work to save the Sea Turtles.

North of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on the Pacific Coast is a place called Platanitos Sea Turtle Camp and what they do is gather the eggs that the female sea turtle lay in the sand and put them in incubators to hatch and then they are released in late summer and early fall.

All of this work takes loads of volunteers along with the locals to do this daunting task, and of course it is all done with love and devotion. So this is something you can time your vacation around and it is also a perfect way to teach your children about biology and sea turtles while still enjoying a vacation.

The sea turtles are a dark gray color and when born are about the size of a silver dollar and when full size can be as large as 2 to 2 ½ feet long and weigh 80 to 110 lbs. They have been on the endangered list now since 1978, but with the work of these dedicated volunteers more and more of the sea turtles are surviving. The female turtle lays about
80 to 100 eggs each, but, if they weren't gathered by government agencies and sanctuaries they would fall prey to all sorts of animals and of course humans, who can be their worst enemy of all because of poachers being able to sell one egg for at least $10.

So what a wonderful way to save the environment, the turtles and still go on vacation and enjoy the area around Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. There is lodging right on and near the camp; which is large enough for a family and at moderate prices, which includes kitchens so you can do your own cooking and do your shopping in local villages. Most of the turtle nesting goes on from June through October and the eggs hatch from August to December, so start planning your educational volunteer vacation today to give back something this year, rather than taking.

Dale have enjoyed extensive travel and on one of their trips said to each other, we should do this for a living. With that said, they are now operating a travel website where you can plan a wedding on the beach in Tahiti including a Bridal Registry; a Golf Vacation including reserving tee times; Spa Vacations; Outdoor Adventure Vacations. They offer full personalized service online 24/7 at b.montz@comcast.net Let them be your Vacation Specialist Dale's Travel YTB.

Pet Turtle Care: Adopting Happy Aquarium Sea Turtles

Pet urtle Care

One of the most common and strongest desires of Happy Aquarium players is to adopt a baby sea turtle. They are cute and fun, not to mention your adoption saves them from the atrocious fate that would await them otherwise. Acquiring your own sea turtle can be a laborious challenge. Its certainly still fun, and the reward is well worth it once you have gone through all the necessary steps. Here are a few ways you can speed up the process of adopting one of these adorable critters.

How To Begin Adopting a Baby Sea Turtle

In order to adopt, you need to go out and find some neighbours. You cannot get your own turtle in Happy Aquarium. Instead, you may get notification that a sushi chef has found a turtle, and it will soon be soup. If you decide to post the notification on Facebook and save the poor creature, your friends then have the opportunity to adopt it. The first friend to click on the posted notification in the news feed and adopt the turtle will then have it added to their tank.
Once you have a baby turtle in your tank, it takes 72 hours to raise them to adulthood and sell them. You can have more than one at a time, and the total profit for each is over 100 coins! This is why having a heap of friends is a bonus.

Other Ways to Get Sea Turtles

As described above, you must get your primary baby sea turtle by clicking on a friend's notification. It's also possible, however, to use your pearls and buy special limited edition sea turtles from the Happy Aquarium shop. They turn up in the shop in a variety of colours to brighten up your tank. Be that as it may, your simplest path to a turtle is to make sure you get as many friends as you can in the game and spend a decent amount of time logged in each day.

The root of prosperity in any Facebook game is to have plenty of neighbours. Happy Aquarium is no different. Finding people who are as dedicated to the game as you are can be pivotal in your progress. Never underestimate the benefits you will gain from adding neighbours and posting notifications. Then again, those baby sea turtles sure do look cute floating around in your tank.