![]() ![]() This is probably because we have few turtle or eel grass beds in this area for them to eat. They are less common in North Carolina than loggerheads. Green sea turtles are named for the green color of their fat, not their shell as most people think. Green sea turtles are herbivores as adults. They can reach up to five feet and can weigh up to 650 pounds. Green sea turtles are larger than loggerheads. Loggerhead sea turtles have five scutes down each side of their shell, whereas greens only have four. It is possible to count the number of scutes on the shell to identify one from the other. Loggerhead and green sea turtles look similar as adults. Historically, they nested as far north as Virginia. These turtles nest as far north as Ocracoke Inlet in North Carolina and as far south as Florida. Tagged adults have been found thousands of miles from where they were originally marked. Loggerheads tend to travel great distances. Sailors seeing the head poke above the surface to breathe would often mistake them for logs, so they named them loggerheads. ![]() They may weigh as much as 500 pounds, but 350 pounds is more common. Your observations give naturalists and scientists a better understanding of the biodiversity throughout Maryland and the world.A loggerhead sea turtle’s shell can reach 3-4 feet. (Yes, even in winter!) No matter where you are and what season it is, consider making observations on iNaturalist to help record the diversity of flora and fauna in our region. The Aquarium’s Conservation team encourages you to visit Masonville Cove to explore its plants and wildlife. All observations can be viewed on our Masonville Cove BioBlitz 2020 iNaturalist project. And during a BioBlitz in celebration of Urban National Wildlife Refuge Day on September 26, volunteers observed a variety of plants and animals, documenting more than 230 observations of 134 different species. Volunteers Get Back to Work at Masonville CoveĪquarium volunteers showed up in (safe, socially distanced) force this fall at Masonville Cove, the country’s first designated Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership.Īs part of the annual International Coastal Cleanup, 28 volunteers removed 9,182 pieces of debris from Masonville Cove on October 10. In addition to caring for Pecorino, Animal Rescue is now gearing up for the annual influx of cold-stunned sea turtles who did not migrate far enough south before air and water temperatures dipped in New England and the mid-Atlantic.Įarlier this year, the team marked the release of the 300th animal rehabilitated by National Aquarium Animal Rescue since the program was founded in 1991. The other, Tulum, was a critical case who unfortunately passed away in October following surgical complications. One turtle, nicknamed Pecorino, was suffering from injuries that appeared to be from a boat strike. Because of the pandemic, National Aquarium Animal Rescue partnered with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police marine unit to release these turtles by boat rather than from the beach, where crowds of onlookers tend to gather.Īlmost immediately after the release, two new Kemp’s ridley patients rescued in Delaware arrived at the Aquarium for rehab in September. ![]() The last three sea turtles of the 2019 rescue season-two Kemp’s ridleys and one green, called Mozzarella, Stilton and Halloumi in line with our 2019 cheese naming theme-returned to the ocean in early September. You can help!Īs one noteworthy sea turtle rescue season ended this fall, another began. The newest hatchling will be cared for behind the scenes until it is an adult.Īccording to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, Mertens’ water monitors are endangered.įrom brand new babies to old favorites, every animal at the National Aquarium receives the highest standard of care from our team. Three Mertens’ water monitors hatched at the Aquarium in 2014 and can be seen in Australia: Wild Extremes today. “It’s only about three weeks after fertilization that the eggs are laid, but Mertens’ water monitors have an unusually long incubation time, so patience and monitoring were key,” explains Assistant Curator Jessica Nelson. Herpetologists Drew Roderuck and Matt Benedict discovered the egg more than a year ago, in September 2019. The lizard took its time arriving, which is not unusual for this species. The National Aquarium grew by one last month, with the hatching of a Mertens’ water monitor in a behind-the-scenes area of Australia: Wild Extremes on October 14. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |