World Turtle Day is an annual observance occurring every May 23. It began in 2000 and is sponsored by the American Tortoise Rescue. The day was created as a yearly observance to help people celebrate and protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world as well as to encourage human action to help them survive and thrive. A study on the effects of biodiversity awareness days listed World Turtle Day as an example of how they increase the internet search traffic on the protected species.
Turtles are one of the world’s oldest reptile groups, dating back much further than snakes, crocodiles, and alligators. These organisms predate dinosaurs, having evolved 250 million years earlier. Scientists estimate that there are 300 kinds of turtles in the world, with 129 of them being endangered. That is the reason why World Turtle Day is celebrated internationally. People are reminded on this day how important it is to help turtles live and grow in their natural habitat.
It’s easy to get confused between a tortoise and turtle. The main difference between the two is that turtles sometimes live in the water, while tortoises only live on the land. Turtles live up to the age of 40 and have streamlined and mostly flat shells. On the other hand, tortoises can live up to 300 years and they have larger, more domed shells. You will mostly find turtles in the sea, while tortoises inhabit dense jungles and grasslands.
World Turtle Day is celebrated around the globe in a variety of ways, from dressing up as turtles or wearing green summer dresses, to saving turtles caught on highways, games and research activities.
Things you can do to help their protection:
- Never buy a turtle or tortoise from a pet shop as it increases demand from the wild.
- Never remove turtles or tortoises from the wild unless they are sick or injured.
- If a tortoise is crossing a busy street, pick it up and send it in the same direction it was going – if you try to make it go back, it will turn right around again.
- Report the cruelty or illegal sales of turtles and tortoises to your local animal control shelter.
Write letters 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.