Tag Archives: giant turtles

Turtle on the Lam

You might not imagine a two hundred pound tortoise would be much of an escape artist. Houdini the turtle? Hard to picture… unless you know Willy. Willy is an eleven year old African tortoise who lives near Riverside, California. He joined the Larsen family as a birthday present. When Willy came home from the pet store, he was small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Nowadays, Willy is tipping the scales at two hundred pounds. He tips over tables and gives rides to young Larsen nieces and nephews. The family had no idea that Willy would get … Continue reading →

Florida Loggerhead Numbers Drop

On the heels of a movement to protect Pacific loggerhead sea turtles, news comes from Florida that the number of turtle nests went down in 2007. Loggerhead sea turtles are already listed as “threatened” by the federal Endangered Species Act. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission surveyed nineteen different beaches were loggerhead turtles nest. Scientists reported more than twenty-eight thousand turtle nests. This seems like a good number until you compare it to the 2006 survey, which counted nearly fifty thousand turtle nests. In 2007, there were twenty-two thousand fewer loggerhead nests on Florida beaches — possibly the lowest … Continue reading →

US Protection for Loggerheads

The United States government is looking at adding loggerhead sea turtles in the Pacific to the endangered species list. Loggerhead turtles all over are already classified as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act. However, environmentalists believe a higher level of protection is necessary. The National Marine Fisheries Service is considering upgraded protection for loggerheads along the California coast and around Hawaii. Managers of Pacific Ocean fisheries say that recent years have seen huge improvements in protection for Pacific loggerheads. Sea turtle advocates beg to differ, estimating that tens of thousands of turtles are killed each year by commercial fishing … Continue reading →