Nature
World Turtle Day®
Turtles About Town in Galveston
Galveston is host to 100s of turtle sculptures to beautify the city and bring awareness and advocacy to protect endangered sea turtles. This community art was created by Turtle Island Restoration Network and Clay Cup Studios.
Turtle lovers of all ages have the opportunity to see nearly 100 colorful Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle statues that have been installed around Galveston Island, Texas since 2018.
Businesses and organizations graciously sponsored the turtles while local artists were commissioned to give each one its own personality and meaning.
What an amazing way to create public awareness through art that everyone can enjoy throughout the City of Galveston!
WORLD TURTLE DAY®
American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization established in 1990 for the protection of all species of tortoise and turtle, is sponsoring their annual World Turtle Day® on May 23. The day was created as a yearly observance to help people celebrate and protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world.
Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson, founders of ATR and World Turtle Day, advocate humane treatment of all animals, including reptiles. Since 1990, ATR has placed about 4,000 tortoises and turtles in caring homes. ATR assists law enforcement when undersize or endangered turtles are confiscated and provides helpful information and referrals to persons with sick, neglected or abandoned turtles.
Fun Facts to "Shellebrate" World Turtle Day®
You may already think turtles are awesome, but here are some more reasons to love them.
- The earliest known turtle species dates back to the Jurassic Period— they coexisted with dinosaurs!
- There are over 300 species of turtles living today.
- The largest living turtle, the leatherback sea turtle, can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.
- Sea turtles can stay underwater for 4 to 7 hours before they need oxygen.
- A pair of Russian tortoises were the first vertebrates to travel to the moon.
- They were launched into space and flew around the moon as part of a Soviet mission.
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