Georgia Sea Turtle Center: Summer is Turtle Season!
Saturday, June 28th, 2008As many of you already know, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is always very busy treating patients—each animal requires individual attention everyday. With summer here, we are treating even more injured turtles. Both turtles and humans alike enjoy the warm weather of summer, unfortunately this high level of outdoor activity leads to turtle injuries and mortalities—more personal watercraft on the ocean and more vehicles crossing the causeway to and from Jekyll Island.
On the 12th of June the Georgia Sea Turtle Center received its newest patient. The sub-adult Loggerhead Sea Turtle was caught while the Georgia Bulldog (the University of Georgia Marine Extension’s research vessel) was trawling offshore near St. Marys, Georgia. The turtle has severe injuries that include deep fractures on the top and bottom of the shell and a fractured rear flipper. A propeller is suspected to be the cause of these injuries. The exact age of turtle is unknown, but it can be approximated using the dimensions of the turtle to be around 10 years old. The gender of this turtle is not known at this point. Loggerhead Sea Turtles reach maturity at around 30-35 years of age; at this time the gender of the turtle can be determined by the length of the tail. The veterinary staff at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center will be closely monitoring the new patient.
Although they are not sea turtles, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is treating an increasing number of Diamondback Terrapins. These turtles are often hit by cars traveling on roads through salt marshes (like the Jekyll Island Causeway). Female turtles, in search for the perfect spot to nest, venture across the road where they meet head on with humanity.
As many as 20 Diamondback Terrapins a day are hit by cars on the causeway—the majority of these turtles die. With regular causeway patrols, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is aware of the situation and is doing everything possible to curb the rate of mortality. The staff also patrols the causeway to collect casualties’ viable eggs to be incubated. The patrol also includes collecting data on these turtles so that we can fully grasp the impact the causeway has and to shine light on possible solutions to the problem. Please be aware of vehicles, researchers, and Diamondback Terrapins and use caution while driving on the causeway during the summer.
To learn more about sea turtles, their life history, and the impact humans have on them, visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, Georgia. You can read the staff’s blog and check out patient updates at www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org.
