Snapping Turtles Have One Hell of a Bite
The face of a snapping turtle is the last thing a lot of fish see before they die. It’s not pretty. We got to release a snapping turtle into the wild for this episode. Stick around to the end to watch!
10 of the most trafficked animals in existence (for now)
Recently more than 10,000 endangered radiated tortoises were seized from poachers in Madagascar, but not all of them were physically saved. Hundreds of the animals died from illness and dehydration, proving once again that most animals just really shouldn’t be taken out of their habitat. Experts believe the turtles were intended for the illegal pet … Continued
Nightmare gnashers: 8 ordinary creatures with surprisingly terrifying teeth
Some of the most innocent creatures in the animal kingdom are secretly hiding horrifying sets of teeth. If you’re brave enough to peek inside the mouths of these seemingly normal animals, you’ll discover nightmare gnashers that look like they’ve come straight from the set of a monster movie. Have a browse of the gallery above to … Continued
Supermarket giants dump John West tuna because its fishing methods kill turtles
The British supermarket leviathan Tesco has announced that it is dropping John West tuna from its shelves by the end of the month, because—despite misleading ‘Dolphin-safe’ labelling on many of their products—the firm still employs methods of catching the fish that also attract, net and kill loads of other species, including turtles, rays and endangered … Continued
10 of America’s weirdest animals
Thanks to the work of Louis Theroux and other fearless documentarians, we know that America is home to the occasional eccentric human. But what about the world of animals? Surely there are some stateside critters with equally unusual ways of life? You bet. There are all kinds of bizarre animals living in the deserts, rivers and prairies … Continued
Five at-risk freshwater turtle species
Despite turtles’ tough shells, modern threats such as busy roadways and habitat destruction have put these prehistoric creatures in jeopardy. It’s WWF Water Wednesday, when Love Nature television explores the unique characteristics, natural history, environmental challenges and threats facing waters and aquatic species in Canada and around the world, hosted by WWF-Canada president and CEO … Continued
Maimed by a ghost, this turtle is getting a false flipper
Ossy the turtle might be missing a limb, but she is one of the fortunate ones—few animals that feel the clinging grasp of a ghost net live long enough for their tale to be told. Ossy got lucky, and this is her story. Just over two years ago, this olive ridley turtle was found in … Continued
Animal adaptation for an ever more acidic ocean
The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been increasing rapidly since industrialisation. One, often underreported, consequence of rising CO2 levels is that the ocean is absorbing much more of the stuff than it has for millions of years. As a result, our oceans and seas are becoming more acidic. Digging into the science reveals that we are now … Continued
Turtles risk stranding on UK beaches this week
The British public has been urged to keep an eye out for stranded turtles when they’re walking along their favourite beaches this week. The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) says marine turtles spotted near Swanage, and thought to be endangered loggerheads, may well be at risk of stranding on nearby beaches in the coming days as the sea … Continued
First ever sighting of a glowing sea turtle
Biofluorescence—the ability to emit luminescent neon colours—has been observed in a sea turtle for the first time. Marine biologist David Gruber and his team from City University of New York encountered the Glowing Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) while diving under a full moon one night off the coast of the Solomon Islands in the … Continued
Sea turtles sport trendy swimsuits for science
How do you go about collecting the faeces of an extremely tough, 120kg ocean-roaming sea turtle? The answer, it seems, is with a customised and oh-so-fashionable swimsuit. Owen Coffee, a PhD student from the University of Queensland’s School of Biological Sciences, has recently been researching the diet of endangered sea turtles in the hope of … Continued
More than half of all sea turtles have eaten plastic, says study
Last week Dr Qamar Schuyler (University of Queensland), along with a team of international scientists, published a report in the journal Global Change Biology which aimed to quantify the impact of marine debris on sea turtles. Using modelling techniques they revealed that up to 52% of sea turtles world-wide may have ingested plastic debris. Plastic … Continued