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Description
Just something to celebrate World Turtle Day, the day when show our appreciation, and bring attention for, and increase knowledge and respect for one of our favorite (and perhaps one of the most famous) reptiles and learn how we can help them as they struggle through the changes and threats in their environments. Sure, most live in wetlands (including lakes, rivers, and ponds), but they can also be found in deserts, forests, and even the ocean. This includes sea turtles and tortoises (yes, all tortoises are turtles too). There are three groups of turtles:

1. Freshwater Turtles - includes aquatic and semi-aquatic species (including ones called terrapins) with smooth shells, webbed feet, and streamlined shells.

2. Land-Dwelling Turtles - includes turtles (especially ones called tortoises) with elephantine limbs, club-shaped feet, and high-domed shells.

3. Sea Turtles - there are seven species that live in the open ocean and have limbs that are adapted as flippers.

As we all know, turtles are reptiles with shells that belong to an order called Testudines and all have a bony or leathery shell, four legs, and a tail. The top of the shell is called the carapace, which protects the back and sides, while the bottom of the shell is called the plastron, which protects the underbelly. The head can be fully or partially withdrawn into the shell. Sizes of turtles can range from the speckled tortoise (the smallest) - 3 in (8 cm) and 5 oz (140 g) - to the leatherback sea turtle (the largest) -8.5 ft. (2.6 m) and 2,000 lbs. (900 hg)! In many cultures, turtles are seen as a symbol of cleverness, wisdom, fertility, time, and immorality (that due to their extremely long lifespans). Despite that, however, no matter what species and if abundant or rare, turtles as a whole are in trouble and face many threats. Threats include loss of habitat, human conflicts (mostly on roads, where turtles are vulnerable to collisions with automobiles), and the wildlife trade (which is the reason many species are over-hunted/over-harvested for food, the pet trade, or for their shells to make into fashion or medicine). With those threats about, they need our help.

But there is hope for turtles as they are now being treated as protected species and many conservationists are working hard to protect them. Here are some things you can do for turtles:

1. Do not buy products or medicines that contains turtle parts.
2. Protect local wildlife habitats used by turtles by discouraging development.
3. Choose seafood that's caught in nets with turtle excluding devices (T.E.D.), and don't perpetuate sale of threatened species as food or decorative items.
4. Join or support volunteer citizen science organizations and projects to participate in habitat recovery and sea turtle preservation.
5. If you live near an area where sea turtles come to nest:
a. Do not leave items on the beach that would prevent sea turtles from moving around freely.
b. Fill in all holes dug in the sand during the day.
c. Protect the dunes by using designated broadwalks and walk-throughs.
d. Turn off lights that are visible on the beach, since artificial lights will discourage females from nesting and disorient hacthlings, since they depend on light and reflections of the moon to find their way to the sea, with the possibility of putting them in dangerous situations.
6. Report any sales of any turtle or tortoise less than four inches (since it's considered illegal throughout the U.S.)
7. Never move a turtle from the wild unless it's sick or injured.
8. If a tortoise is crossing a busy street, pick it up and send it in the same direction it was going; it wouldn't be a good idea to place it back to the direction it came from for if you try to make it go back, it will turn right around again.
9. Write a letter (or sign a petition) to legislators asking them to keep sensitive habitat preserved or closed to off road vehicles, and to prevent off shore drilling that can lead to more endangered sea turtle deaths.
10. Support conservation efforts being made to save endangered turtles.

World Turtle Day is sponsored by American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization established in 1990 for the protection of all species of tortoise and turtle, since 2000. One thing you can do to celebrate World Turtle Day is visiting your local park and look for some turtles, taking any photo of any turtles you come across, and observe them in a good distance as they live happy and free in the wild. With all that said, Happy World Turtle Day!

Description
Just something to celebrate World Turtle Day, the day when show our appreciation, and bring attention for, and increase knowledge and respect for one of our favorite (and perhaps one of the most famous) reptiles and learn how we can help them as they struggle through the changes and threats in their environments. Sure, most live in wetlands (including lakes, rivers, and ponds), but they can also be found in deserts, forests, and even the ocean. This includes sea turtles and tortoises (yes, all tortoises are turtles too). There are three groups of turtles:

1. Freshwater Turtles - includes aquatic and semi-aquatic species (including ones called terrapins) with smooth shells, webbed feet, and streamlined shells.

2. Land-Dwelling Turtles - includes turtles (especially ones called tortoises) with elephantine limbs, club-shaped feet, and high-domed shells.

3. Sea Turtles - there are seven species that live in the open ocean and have limbs that are adapted as flippers.

As we all know, turtles are reptiles with shells that belong to an order called Testudines and all have a bony or leathery shell, four legs, and a tail. The top of the shell is called the carapace, which protects the back and sides, while the bottom of the shell is called the plastron, which protects the underbelly. The head can be fully or partially withdrawn into the shell. Sizes of turtles can range from the speckled tortoise (the smallest) - 3 in (8 cm) and 5 oz (140 g) - to the leatherback sea turtle (the largest) -8.5 ft. (2.6 m) and 2,000 lbs. (900 hg)! In many cultures, turtles are seen as a symbol of cleverness, wisdom, fertility, time, and immorality (that due to their extremely long lifespans). Despite that, however, no matter what species and if abundant or rare, turtles as a whole are in trouble and face many threats. Threats include loss of habitat, human conflicts (mostly on roads, where turtles are vulnerable to collisions with automobiles), and the wildlife trade (which is the reason many species are over-hunted/over-harvested for food, the pet trade, or for their shells to make into fashion or medicine). With those threats about, they need our help.

But there is hope for turtles as they are now being treated as protected species and many conservationists are working hard to protect them. Here are some things you can do for turtles:

1. Do not buy products or medicines that contains turtle parts.
2. Protect local wildlife habitats used by turtles by discouraging development.
3. Choose seafood that's caught in nets with turtle excluding devices (T.E.D.), and don't perpetuate sale of threatened species as food or decorative items.
4. Join or support volunteer citizen science organizations and projects to participate in habitat recovery and sea turtle preservation.
5. If you live near an area where sea turtles come to nest:
a. Do not leave items on the beach that would prevent sea turtles from moving around freely.
b. Fill in all holes dug in the sand during the day.
c. Protect the dunes by using designated broadwalks and walk-throughs.
d. Turn off lights that are visible on the beach, since artificial lights will discourage females from nesting and disorient hacthlings, since they depend on light and reflections of the moon to find their way to the sea, with the possibility of putting them in dangerous situations.
6. Report any sales of any turtle or tortoise less than four inches (since it's considered illegal throughout the U.S.)
7. Never move a turtle from the wild unless it's sick or injured.
8. If a tortoise is crossing a busy street, pick it up and send it in the same direction it was going; it wouldn't be a good idea to place it back to the direction it came from for if you try to make it go back, it will turn right around again.
9. Write a letter (or sign a petition) to legislators asking them to keep sensitive habitat preserved or closed to off road vehicles, and to prevent off shore drilling that can lead to more endangered sea turtle deaths.
10. Support conservation efforts being made to save endangered turtles.

World Turtle Day is sponsored by American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization established in 1990 for the protection of all species of tortoise and turtle, since 2000. One thing you can do to celebrate World Turtle Day is visiting your local park and look for some turtles, taking any photo of any turtles you come across, and observe them in a good distance as they live happy and free in the wild. With all that said, Happy World Turtle Day!