Public turtle nursery hatching this spring
Turtles. My hero in a half shell as I have always been fascinated with them since I was born a Maryland Terrapin. Long before the teenage mutant variety graced our presence, I was enamored with the idea of being a slow-moving traveler with my home on my back.
So needless to say I was more than thrilled to discover I moved to a town that hosts the largest collection of freshwater turtles in North America.
“My initial attraction to turtles was something about the way a turtle looks,” said Dave Collins, Director of Forests and Animal Behavior at the Aquarium. “It’s like a little living sculpture.” Collins goes on to say the world is changing rapidly and there is no place left for turtles in many cases.
Well now these pre-historic critters, so-called “living fossils”, turned sweat shop pet shop shelled sweeties need our rescuing. According to the Tennessee Aquarium’s website, turtles are currently “the most endangered vertebrates on the planet. In spite of their potentially long lives and tough exterior, turtle populations have been rapidly declining in recent years due to a combination of threats including habitat loss and unsustainable trafficking.”
Therefore the Aquarium has declared 2020 to be “The Year of the Turtle” and will celebrate by opening an interactive Turtle of the World gallery on March 13th. Throughout the year, the Aquarium will share news, host events and highlight conservation programs that showcase the charisma, ecological importance and imperilment of turtle species worldwide.
Certain species have been declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and several endangered species will be on display like the Keeled Box turtle or the Bigheaded turtle just to name a few. The (pictured) Roti Island Snakeneck turtle should not have much to smile about as they are critically endangered however all these rambunctious reptilians appear to be kicking up their heels during their journey to rehabilitation.
These young chelonians (scientific name for turtles, terrapins and tortoises) came to the Aquarium from a wide variety of sources including conservation partners such as the Turtle Survival Alliance, Turtle Conservancy, Zoo Knoxville, Zoo Atlanta, other zoological institutions and private holdings.
The Turtle of the World gallery will have interactive exhibits like the Turtle Trail that will lead spectators through “turtle hotspots” like the Southeastern United States and Southeast Asia. In addition to exhibits, the gallery’s beating heart is its turtle nursery.
“The facility serves as equal parts working lab and parade of reptilian cuteness. Here—much like visiting the maternity ward of a hospital—guests can look through an acrylic window to watch and interact with husbandry experts as they tend to turtle hatchlings. The miniature bodies and overwhelming adorability of these tiny turtles will certainly make strides towards that goal, but the nursery also contributes to turtles’ overall conservation.”
Once you’re done racing around like the hare, slow your stride and enjoy the IMAX showing of “Turtle Odyssey 3D” narrated by Russell Crowe. Complete with a downloadable film guide for those wanting to dive deeper into the education aspect, it tells the tale of an Australian Green Sea Turtle named Bunji from hatchling to adulthood.
The fun and puns are abundant as the Aquarium encourages kids of all ages to pose for “shell-fies” in the over-sized turtle nest and have a turtly awesome time shell-ebrating cute cold-bloodedness. “Every year is the year of the turtle for me so I’m glad everyone else has caught on,” says Senior Herpetologist Bill Hughes. “It’s hard not to look at a turtle and say that’s a cool animal.”
For more information on all things turtle, go to tnaqua.org.