Cove Cultists?

Yet, it could be a way forward because despite films like 'The Cove' nothing much has changed regarding drive hunts on a local level and animals are still getting killed in large numbers. 

Some time ago, a colleague within the zoological community - who had spent some considerable time on various animal chat forums putting forward considered views on the claims and counter claims of the animal rights movement - declared that surely these people's views can be only described as the mindset of a 'cult'.  This is probably not a wholly satisfactory explanation but certainly spending enough time exposed to these groups and factions one could be forgiven that indeed this is the case.

Of course, one of the prime difficulties when involved in such discussions is the blurring of the term animal-rights and animal-welfare.  There have been a number of interesting articles on this matter but for brevity, animal-rights can be defined as an ideological and/or political position treating animals as humans thus confirming them with human rights.  Whereas animal welfare is the act of ensuring we as humans treat animals humanely and spare them unnecessary pain and suffering.  The two terms are mistakenly interchanged but are in fact very, very different.

Now in the world of zoos and aquariums the animal-rights lobby groups are getting very excited about the film 'Blackfish' a melodramatic documentary that makes various claims regarding the welfare and treatment of killer whales at the US Sea World marine parks. 

However, prior to this in 2009 a film called 'The Cove' generated similar attention and once again parks like Sea World were targeted by animal-rights groups and their supporters. These attacks were even more transparently spurious as regarding the welfare of animals within Sea World and aquaria than the film 'Blackfish'.

'The Cove' was a documentary that featured the cetacean (whale and dolphin) drive hunts in Japan that happen in various parts of this country but the film concentrated on the whaling port of Taiji in Wakayama.

These hunts involve the driving of groups of dolphins and whales into bays and killing and butchering them for their meat.  This has been undertaken for hundreds of years but it was not until around the 1960's that the public became more aware of the hunt via magazines such as the National Geographic and wildlife documentary filmmakers including Cousteau. 

Most people rightly find the film and video of these animals being driven and killed very disturbing and have campaigned to have them stopped.  But a curious aspect of 'The Cove' is that is seemed to spend a large amount of time focussed on the relatively small numbers of cetaceans spared death to be sold for exhibit in aquariums as zoos in deference to the surrounding carnage of the hunt.

The obtaining of animals for zoos and marine parks as a by-product of drive hunts has been a recent development.  This seems to have began in the late 1970's and involved not only animals from Japan but also Taiwan.  Such animals were supplied not only for far-eastern facilities but also Europe and some to the USA.

That said, contemporarily live captures via drive hunts are now specific to supply animals to primarily new aquaria and parks in the Far and Middle east, Russia and members of the former Soviet Union. 

Mainland Europe and the USA do not acquire animals via drive hunts and captive breeding programmes now are used to sustain future animal acquisitions. 

Background and details can be found HERE.

Nonetheless, animal rights activists continue to make very tenuous claims that parks such as Sea World continue to be associated in the drive hunts. 

The facts are that Sea World (and the rest of the US) do not display animals from drive hunts.  Only one drive-fishery animal is held in the USA. It is a false-killer whale called Kina originally imported by the US Navy's Marine Mammal Program from Ocean Park, Hong Kong in 1987; it was transferred to the Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology in 2000. This animal was used for research and not was not on general public display.  In September 2015 Kina and her two bottlenose dolphin companions were transferred to SeaLife Park in Hawaii. Studies on these animals echolocation and biosonar abilities will continue at the park in partnership with the University of Hawaii.

In mainland Europe, no animals from drive hunts are displayed.  Historically, only two shipments of animals from drive hunts where ever imported into the UK.  In 1979, six animals collected via a Taiwan drive hunt were brought from Ocean Park, Hong Kong, where they had already spent some months in captivity. Two animals went to Brighton Aquarium and the rest were exported out of the UK.  The last animals acquired where from a Japanese hunt and shipped to the UK via a acclimation stop at Ocean Park in 1980.  Their capture and transport was featured in the BBC television show 'Animal Magic' featuring the late Terry Nutkins.

Animal Magic: Wanted Alive Not Dead.  Radio Times 15-12 August 1981.

Radio Times Article

One of these tenuous associations beloved by animal-rightists that is supposed to show Sea World 'supporting drive hunts' is it association with the above-mentioned Ocean Park.

Ocean Park opened in 1977 and was funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club and is at present managed by the Ocean Park Corporation, a financially independent, non-profit organisation. 

When it opened (and for a number of subsequent years) dolphins and some whale species were acquired as a adjunct to drive hunts in both Japan and Taiwan.  However, since that time the park has acquired animals via captive breeding.  The park was one of the first aquaria to successfully used artificial insemination of bottlenose dolphins, a technique that is also been used in many large zoo animals such as elephants.  The last dolphins to be imported to Ocean Park were a wild caught father 'Domino' and his captive bred daughter 'Dumisa' from Port Elizabeth in South Africa on extended breeding loan in July 2009.

No animals appear to have been imported to the park from drive hunts since at least the mid 1990's and more likely 1987.  See Reeves, R.R., DeMaster, D.P., Hill, C.L and Leatherwood, S. 1995. Survivorship of odontocete cetaceans at Ocean Park, Hong Kong, 1974-1994.

However, such details seemed to be ignored by animal-rights supporters who have jumped upon what they believe is evidence of 'professional relationships' between Sea World and Ocean Park and other marine attractions. 

But, of course, zoos and aquariums do have 'professional relationships' with other  zoological facilities with many belonging to groups and organisations supporting such actions as breeding loans, exchanged of animals, husbandry and veterinary advice.  This is not some form of covert operation and takes place in plain sight and the prime beneficiaries are actually the animals within the zoos and aquariums.  This seems something completely lost to animal-rights supporters. 

In addition, what if 'shock horror' zoos and aquariums have professional relationships with establishments that may display animals derived from a drive hunt?  What purpose would be served by isolating such establishments?  The only result as I see it is that the welfare of the animals being exhibited would be compromised by the lack of support and the communication of knowledge.  Although, I get the impression that many opposed to cetaceans in captivity from whatever source would rather the animals be dead.  This can be seen in the glee which some of these groups and individuals rapidly post news on forums reporting animals dying in aquariums or parks an action that seems depressingly widespread.

Recently, there was an interesting development regarding animals taken from drive hunts in Taiji in Japan.  On 1 September 70 bottlenose dolphins where driven into the cove of which 18 were retained for aquaria with the remaining animals released.   This seems to be an attempt to segregate live capture operation from drive hunts. 

Cynics have suggested that this is a ploy to enable aquaria to state that they acquired animals outside the normal drive hunt season where most of the animals are killed and butchered for meat. They point to a petition from animal-rights activists that soft-target groups such as the World Association of  Zoos and Aquariums  (WAZA) and The International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA) as somehow being responsible for the drive hunts.  They state in the petition letter: 

[IMATA, WAZA] Do not purchase, contract for, or accept any dolphins from any hunt in which any dolphins have been intentionally killed.

Nonetheless, this is a fascinating development and on a pragmatic basis to save cetacean lives from the hunts perhaps the way forward would be to abandon hunting for live capture.  Many animal-rights activists would object and fisherman would have to be convinced to allow competition from cetaceans for fish and abandoning whale meat as a food source. 

Yet, it could be a way forward because despite films like 'The Cove' nothing much has changed regarding drive hunts on a local level and animals are still getting killed in large numbers.  As an illustration, early in the hunt season (September 2012 - February 2013) 1486 cetaceans were driven into the cove of which 899 were killed, 247 were live capture and 340 released.  Therefore, it remains that the majority of animals are still being killed.   Consequently, and ironically, it could be that the abandonment of hunting for live capture could be a away forward to save cetacean lives. 

During 2000 to 2012 only 7% of animals were taken for aquaria. CetaBase.

Unfortunately, one stumbling block seems to be a very odd underlying consensus of animal-rights supporters that live capture is the primary driving force for cetaceans hunts and if these stopped then the hunting would stop.  Clearly, looking at the history of drive hunts this is glaringly incorrect and also very naive.  

Although it fits in with the anti-captive position of people like Ric O'Barry who promoted this agenda a great deal in the film 'The Cove' making him probably the enabler of what could be called: covecultism.

Links and Further Information:

Animal Rights vs Animal Welfare?     They're the same thing, aren't they? 

Every Sparrow That Falls: Understanding Animal Rights Activism as Functional Religion


Building a Future for Wildlife: The World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy

Cetabase Drive Fisheries: Capture Results & Information

A View To A Kill

The Cove and animals acquired for dolphinaria.

Blackfish and the Selective Skeptic

Saw Blackfish documentary. Disturbing. It"s time to end exploitation of whales along with chimps. I"m boycotting SeaWorld. Who"s with me?  Michael Shermer, Facebook. 6 August 2013.

For those who follow the skeptic community Michael Shermer is a leading light.  However, in a recent posting on his Facebook page (copied above) it seems that sometimes his skeptical eye can be blinded.

As he states, he is referring to the film "Blackfish" a partisan documentary against the care of killer whales in aquariums and marine parks.

If the film had been about creationism or vaccination causing autism, it would be doubtful if Shermer would have been so glowing in his praise and would instead have looked into the issue and its science with a little more depth and skepticism.  Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case which is deeply disappointing for someone who should actually know better.

From a skeptical point of view, it should also be noted that there is an interesting connection between the film "Blackfish" and vaccination causing autism which Shermer seems to have missed.  This is the involvement of writer David Kirby.

Kirby is the author of a number of articles, blogs, and books with the latest being "A Death At Seaworld" one of the major sources of much of the information in "Blackfish".  He, along with a number of others, could say to be instrumental in convincing Gabriela Cowperthwaite to make her film.

Before "Death at Seaworld" Kirby published two other books most recently in 2010 a book on US factory farming entitled: "Animal Factory" and prior to that in 2005 the book: "Evidence of Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic".

In "Evidence Of Harm" Kirby claimed that vaccines such as MMR can cause autism via a vaccine preservative ethylmercury thiosalicylate, commonly known as thimerosal, claims of which have been discredited for a number of years.

In the USA, as a precaution in 2001 thimerosal was removed or reduced in all vaccines routinely recommended for children and by January 2006 the last vaccines that use thimerosal as a preservative expired.

It should be noted that some countries such as Denmark thimerosal was never used.  Yet, no downward trend in autism has taken place and the evidence continues to support no cause and effect of the MMR vaccines and the development of autism.

Moreover, Andrew Wakefield (the UK doctor responsible for the original discredited 1998 research) was struck off the United Kingdom's medical register in May 2010.  The UK's General Medical Council (GMC) stated that Wakefield had "brought the medical profession into disrepute," and no sanction short of removing his right to practice medicine was appropriate for the "serious and wide-ranging findings" of misconduct. 

Unfortunately, rather than revise his position and despite overwhelming scientific research Kirby continues to hold his anti-vaccine position despite this cause being totally discredited.

One has to ask the simple question: if Kirby's book "Evidence of Harm" was to become a documentary movie would Michael Shermer and other skeptics be so quick to endorse such a film on face value without further research?

Links

Science Based Medicine: Vaccines and Autism

The hit documentary Blackfish has a message as dubious as its methods 

Troodon

 

The Life of Animals | Troodon | Troodon dinosaurs were small, up to 2.4 meters (7.9 feet) in length and up to 50 kg (110 lb) in weight. Troodon includes the largest known troodontids. Troodon had some of the largest known group of dinosaurs, in relation to its body mass (comparable to modern birds) brains. A brain to another Troodon volume ratio was 31.5% to 63% in the form of a reptile a bird action nonavian Real. Troodon had Crista support eardrums, that at least in their own regions dorsal and ventral ossified cartilage remaining sensitive parts of Troodon receive metotic The leg was "laterally hypertrophied." The type of sample Troodon has caused classification problems, because the whole genre is based on a single tooth of the Judith River Formation. Troodon tooth was like "lacertilian" (lizard), sorted by Leidy, but reassigned as 1901 Nopcsa megalosaurid dinosaurs (Megalosauridae were past'm a taxon for most carnivorous dinosaurs). In 1924, Gilmore suggested that the tooth belonged Pachycephalosaur and Stegoceras Stegoceras herbivores was actually a junior synonym of Troodon (the similarity of the troodontid teeth of herbivorous dinosaurs continues to lead many paleontologists believe that these animals are omnivores).

In 1945, Charles Mortram Sternberg rejected the possibility that Troodon was Pachycephalosaur because of its resemblance to the teeth of other carnivorous dinosaurs. With Troodon now classified as a carnivore, Troodontidae the family is no longer used to hold the mushrooms dinosaurs, so Sternberg appointed a new family for their Pachycephalosauridae.  Sternberg initially classified as family Stenonychosaurus Coeluridae. Later, Sternberg suggested in 1951 that the Stenonychosaurus had a "very special PES" and Troodon "equally unusual teeth" are closely linked. With Saurornithoides Saurornithoididae Family Foundation. Inequalis Stenonychosaurus reclassified grow and Pectinodon Polyodontosaurus bakkeri as junior synonyms of Troodon Formosus. Currie was also a junior synonym of Saurornithoididae Troodontidae. In 1988, Gregory S. Paul continued and generally Saurornithoides mongoliensis Troodon as T. Currie Classification troodontid all devices in North America only species Troodon formosus has been widely adopted by other paleontologists, and has invited all samples once Stenonychosaurus as Troodon in the scientific literature of the early 21 century reported.

In 1991, George Olshevsky Lance formation fossils, which was originally called Pectinodon bakkeri but also subsequently assigned to Troodon Troodon formosus bakkeri species and some others (including Currie) on its fleet of different dinosaur fossils as Troodon inequalis (ex Stenonychosaurus) Training maintain.  From the holotype of T. Formoso is a single tooth, which can make a nomenclature Troodon dubium.  Troodon Judith River Formation and the upper Two Medicine formation of Montana known. Judith River Group of Alberta, the Horseshoe Canyon Formation of Alberta and Prince Creek Formation of Alaska There is some evidence that Troodon prefer colder climates, since it seems particularly abundant in the north and the Arctic and also during colder intervals. A possible early Maastrichtian Troodon teeth is in the bottom of the Javelina Formation of Texas and member of the Kirtland Formation of New Mexico Naashoibito.

Dinosaur eggs and nests were discovered by John R. Horner in 1983 in Montana Two Medicine Formation. Horner (1984) found bones and partial skeletons closely hypsilophodont Orodromeus nests in the same horizon isolated and described the eggs as Orodromeus Horner and Weishampel (1996) re-examine the embryos in eggs obtained and were found not Troodon Orodromeus. Varricchio et al. (1997) took this decision with more certainty when they described a partial skeleton of a Troödon adult (MOR 748) in contact with a clutch of five eggs (MOR 750) in a position likely hatching Varricchio et al. (1997) describe the exact structure Troödon nests. Fuller nests were between 16 (minimum 246 MOR) and 24 (MOR 963) eggs. Varricchio et al. (1997) was insufficient evidence to draw several nests Troodon reproductive biology infer characteristics. Crocodiles lay many eggs that are small compared to the size of the adult body. The birds lay fewer eggs larger. Troodon was intermediate, lay an egg about 0.5 kg for a 50 kg adult. This is 10 times more than the reptiles of the same mass, but two Troodon eggs amounted to about 1.1 kg of eggs of a bird of 50 kg.  MOR 363 was 22 empty eggs (hatched) and embryos in the eggs of MOR 246 were found, are in development are very similar, which means that all young hatched simultaneously. The authors estimated 45-65 days total adult nest attendance for laying, incubation and hatching.

Varricchio et al. (2008) examined the bone histology of Troodon specimen MOR 748 and found that he had no reason to bone resorption may indicate that it was a female egg. They also measured the relationship between the total volume of eggs in Troodon clutches of body weight in adults. Use graphically the correlation between this index and the type of parenting strategies birds and crocodiles there and found that the proportion of Troodon compatible with those of the birds, where only adult male incubates the eggs was. They concluded that women Troodon probably not the hatching of eggs, men have done, and this can be shared between dinosaurs and basal birds maniraptoran characters.

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Lies, Damned Lies and Propaganda

On the 16 June 2013, The Sunday Times under the headline 'Stress drives captive whales to kill trainers' published yet another sadly predictable and partisan article regarding the care of cetaceans in captivity.  The article focused primarily on the captive care of killer whales off the back of the recently released film "Blackfish" but also made more generalised comments on the welfare of cetaceans in captivity.

One particularly irksome comment was the erroneous claim that Britain has banned zoos from keeping whales and dolphins.



Such a specific claim is not new and maintained not only by members of the animal-rights industry but also by some zoo operators who one would hope would know better.

Notices displayed in the Brighton Sea Life Centre in 2009

A case in point being the Merlin Entertainments group owners of the Sea Life brand.  However, this may be in part to their somewhat bizarre position against cetaceans in human care and their close association with the anti-captive Whale and Dolphin Conservation lobby group and SeaLife's collusion in the infamous animal-rights led dolphin release project "Into The Blue".

In an exchange that pointed out this error, The Sunday Times journalist Jonathan Leake defended his position by stating that a DEFRA spokesperson had stated to him that:

“We [DEFRA] are concerned about the keeping of cetaceans in captivity and none have been kept in the UK since the early 1990s.  We believe that cetaceans are intelligent, social animals with complex needs that are unlikely to be met in captivity.”

This is a very surprising and ill-informed comment from a DEFRA spokesperson that appears to disregard the findings of their own commissioned report on to the welfare of captive cetaceans.

In 1985, the Department of the Environment (now part of DEFRA) commissioned biologists Dr Margaret Klinowska and Dr Susan Brown to research and review the keeping of cetaceans in UK zoos and aquaria. 

The report "A Review Of Dolphinaria" was published in 1986. The authors had the authority to recommend that cetaceans should not be held in captive care if their research supported such a position. However, it did not and they maintained that these animals could be successfully kept in animal collections given the right conditions. They stated

"...No substantial contra-indications to the keeping of cetaceans have been found which would not apply equally to the keeping of any other wild-caught animal...This is not to say that there are no problems with cetacean keeping, only that the problems are not dissimilar to those encountered in wild-caught animal husbandry in general, and could be solved...”

In 1986, a Steering Group of experts and officials was set up to review the recommendations of  "A Review of Dolphinaria" and after consultation with various interested parties in 1988 they published "Dolphinaria: Report of the Steering Group" which setup recommendations for the future welfare and keeping standards for cetaceans in UK animal collections to be implemented by 1993.

Since the publication of the new guidelines, no further official amendments or sanctions have been put in place regarding the welfare of captive cetaceans in the UK.

This was confirmed in May 2007 in an official response in the House of Commons by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who stated:

"There are currently no cetaceans being kept in captivity in the UK, and other than for purposes of rehabilitation, there have not been any kept since the early 1990s. While it is not illegal to keep cetaceans in this country, the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 (as amended) aims to ensure that, should cetaceans be kept at an establishment for exhibition to the public, the establishment is licensed and the animals kept in accordance with strict standards relating to their health and welfare requirements. Those standards are set out in the Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice and its supplement on the keeping of cetaceans in captivity. In addition to the requirements of the Zoo Licensing Act, all animals kept in captivity are subject to protection under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. We therefore have no plans to bring forward legislation to prohibit the keeping of cetaceans in captivity."

This position remains, as in the most recent edition of the Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice published in 2012 the following statement regarding any future display of cetaceans in the UK states:

"Cetaceans have not been kept in UK zoos or aquariums for some years. The key references are Klinowska and Brown's Review of Dolphinaria."

Therefore, it can be clearly seen that the continued claims that the UK has banned the keeping of dolphins and whales in zoos and aquaria are false.  Moreover, extensive research by Klinowska and Brown found no reason why such a ban should be undertaken.

Laughing Kookaburra

 

The Life of Animals | Laughing Kookaburra | Laughing Kookaburra is native to the Australian mainland, and has also been introduced in Tasmania, Kangaroo Island and Flinders Island. Laughing Kookaburra is a stocky bird about 45 cm (18 inches) long, with a large head, a prominent brown eyes and Big Bill. Body with a white or cream-colored head with a dark over each eye and slightly above the head brown band. The tail is red-brown rust orange with black stripes and white tips on the feathers. The name "Laughing Kookaburra" means bird "laugh" is used to determine the area between family groups. Bird starts hiccups low laugh, then throws his head back and laughed often several others join in. If a rival tribe is within earshot and replies, the whole family meets before finishing laugh current ring. Hearing kookaburras in full voice is one of the most extraordinary experiences of Australian nature, something the locals can not ignore, and some visitors, unless forewarned, the call can be found surprising

Kookaburra is the theme song of the popular Australian children, Kookaburra. Kookaburras occupy forest land (including forests) released by family groups and their laughter serves the same purpose as other birds called its boundaries. Common prey includes small mammals such as mice and the size of large insects, lizards, small birds and chicks, and most famously, snakes. Small prey is better, but sometimes large kookaburras creatures, including much longer than its body venomous snakes. During mating, the Laughing Kookaburra provided as shown in the behavior as wattlebird. The man then offers his own current captivity, with "oo oo oo" sound. When food is abundant, parents spend more time black chick, so the girls are not able to fight. It is not uncommon for kookaburras snatch food from the hands of the people, without notice, falling away. People often fed pieces of raw meat. 

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Morgan: No Damsel In Distress

Anyone who begins an article, which compares the slave trade to animals in zoological collections, could be said to be allegedly as morally bankrupt as the suggestion itself: also invoking Godwin's law with comments on Auschwitz are equally repugnant but sadly a disappointing reflection on the calibre of the below cited article. 

Nonetheless, slavery is exactly what Matthew Spiegl suggests at the beginning of his recent article in The Huffington Post regarding the care of killer whales at the US Sea World marine parks. 

See HERE

Of course, this is not the first time that human slavery and zoo animal care has been put forward. In October 2011, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA) brought a case against the Sea World theme parks citing slavery and involuntary servitude under the 13th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States for five killer whales displayed at the parks.  The lawsuit failed and was dismissed.   Thus PeTA again exposed itself to ridicule from most right-minded people and the probable anger of many African Caribbean's who families were real slaves.

 

Spiegl's article was triggered by the news that the Sea World parks are to be floated on the US stock market and to promote yet another propaganda exercise by the animal-rights movement in the form of the film "Blackfish".

The article continues along a predictable course of an animal-rights advocate.  Sea World are portrayed as scheming villains with no good intent with his colleagues in the animal-rights industry portrayed as gallant knights, out to slay the ruthless dragon of commercial greed and free the damsel in distress. 

One particular damsel in this case is a young female killer whale that stranded on the Dutch coast starving and near death in June 2010.  The animal was rescued by the group SOS Delfijn and employees from Dolfinarium Harderwijk, which provided care for the animal at their facility in the Netherlands.  Due to the hard work and dedication of the parks staff Morgan (as she became known)  was rehabilitated but deemed unfit for release and moved  to live with a group of captive bred killer whales at Loro Park Tenerife, Spain in November 2011.

Details of Mogan's rescue and recovery can be found HERE.

Spiegl's argues for the release of Morgan but provides very little in the way of compelling or new evidence that would be appropriate to overturn original conclusion not to return her to the wild.

He comments that because Sea World were involved in giving advice in Morgan's rehabilitation this is something sinister but fails to understand that they would be asked as they are the leading specialists in the care and breeding of killer whales in zoological parks.

Moreover, his further citing of the movement of whales and dolphins between marine parks decades ago also has no contemporary relevance.  Neither is linking current animal acquisitions to Japanese and other drive fisheries, as Sea World displays no animals acquired in this way.  In fact, most animals displayed in the US and mainland Europe are from captive breeding.

Drive Fisheries and aquaria information HERE

More damning, Spiegl carefully leaves out the most recent evidence specifically regarding Morgan's health as specialist examination shows she is hearing impaired or deaf.  The reality of this finding is that she can never be released, as deaf cetaceans cannot survive in the wild environment.

Details HERE

Whilst Spiegl calls for a debate on these animals in captive care, his polemic is no more than special pleading for the position of his fellow animal-rights travellers and is not a debate at all as no alternative position is given.

Unfortunately, these discussions of animals as quasi-humans say little about the animals themselves - as they are not and never will be humans-  but say much about those promoting this position.  As always, these dialogues are about the human condition and the stark difference between the ideology of animal-rights and the promotion of animal-welfare.

As an "Ocean Advocate" Spiegl would be better placed to continue to promote such issues as plastics pollution of the ocean and sea environment that is a genuine danger to marine wildlife than the fate of a disabled whale living in a marine park.

The leatherback turtle

 

The Life of Animals | The leatherback turtle | Turtles have the most hydrodynamic body design of a sea turtle with a large drop-shaped body. A nice pair of front flippers power the turtles in the water. Like other sea turtles, the leatherback turtle has crushed the front legs adapted for swimming in the open sea. The fins are the most important sounds in proportion to its body among sea turtles exist. Leatherback front flippers can grow up to 2.7 meters (8.9 feet) large sample size and large flippers (even in comparison to its body) of any sea turtle. Leatherback turtle covering her eggs, Turtle Beach, Tobago The leatherback has several characteristics that distinguish it from other sea turtles. Leatherbacks are unique among reptiles that fail in their scale β-keratinCounter-demonstration is the brightest in the turtle. Dermochelys coriacea adults average of 1 to 1.75 m (3.3 to 5.74 meters) carapace length, 1.83 to 2.2 m (6.0 to 7.2 feet) in length and weigh 250,700 kg (550-1500 lb). Surprisingly, the leatherback turtle is much larger than any other sea turtles hatch, since the transmission 61.3 mm (2.41 inches) carapace length and weighs about 46 g (1.6 oz) when newly hatched.

The first studies of leatherback metabolic rates found lute had predicted resting metabolic rate about three times higher than that of a reptile of their size. This creates constant heat swimming muscle derived. Adults were Lute with the body temperature of 18 ° C (32 ° F) floating above the water found in. Leatherback turtles are one of the creatures of the deep sea diving. The 1992 edition of the Guinness Book of Records presents the leatherback turtle moving 35.28 km / h (21.92 hours miles) in water. The leatherback turtle is a cosmopolitan species with a global reach. There are three genetically distinct populations in the Atlantic Ocean, the eastern Pacific and western Pacific Ocean. While nesting beaches have been identified in the region, leatherback populations in the Indian Ocean are generally not assessed and weighted. The leatherback turtle population in the Atlantic beaches of the region. Unlike other turtles, feeding areas for leatherback turtles are in colder waters, where there is plenty of jellyfish prey, which extends its range. However, few beaches on both sides of the Atlantic provide nesting sites. Overlooking the Atlantic coast of Canada, leatherback turtles feed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near Quebec and as far north as Newfoundland and Labrador.

The beaches of the National Park Mayumba Mayumba, Gabon host the largest nesting population on the African continent and probably in the world, with about 30,000 turtles visit the beaches every year in April. Looking north-east coast of South America, varied selection of some of Guyana and Suriname are the most important sites for nesting of several species of sea turtles, the leatherback turtle, for the most part. A few hundred nest annually on the eastern coast of Florida. In Costa Rica, the beaches and nesting sites Parismina Gandoca. Pacific leatherbacks divide into two populations. Forage is the population of the South Pacific in the world, in the waters off the western coast of South America, nesting in Mexico, Panama, El Salvador and Costa Rica. The continental United States offers two major leatherback feeding areas. Further north on the Pacific coast of Canada, leatherbacks visit the beaches of British Columbia.

Rantau Abang beach Terengganu, Malaysia, once the largest breeding population of the world, home to 10,000 nests per year. Conservation efforts began in 1960 were ineffective because they are exposed to the excavation and incubation of eggs in artificial places accidentally eggs high temperatures. And 'well known that in 1980 that sea turtles are sex determination depends on the temperature, but it is suspected that the younger women incubated artificially In 2008, two turtles nest in Rantau Abang and, unfortunately, eggs were infertile.The leatherback turtle is found mainly in the open sea. The lute follow their jellyfish prey throughout the day, that the turtles "prefer" the deeper waters during the day, and the shallow waters at night (when the jellyfish in the water column), this strategy is often. Turtle hunting in very cold water An individual was actively hunting in waters whose temperature is 0.4 ° C (32.7 ° F).

Beaches favorite breeding places of the continent is facing deep water and they seem to avoid the sites protected by coral reefs D. Leatherback turtles adults feed almost exclusively on jellyfish. Due to the nature of the force-feeding, helps to control the populations of jellyfish leatherback turtles. Pacific leatherbacks migrate more than 6,000 miles (9,700 kilometers) across the Pacific from their nesting sites in Indonesia to eat California jellyfish. One of the reasons for their state of emergency in plastic bags floating in the sea of plastic bags by mistake lute Pacific jellyfish, took about a third of adult leatherbacks plastic. Plastics in the ocean off the west coast city where leatherback turtles, California, with power increase of 19 billion plastic bags per year. Several species of sea turtles ingest marine debris especially plastics, and even small amounts of debris can kill sea turtles by obstructing their digestive tracts. Dilution of nutrients, if the food move plastic intestine, according to the gain of nutrients and growth factors occurs so turtles. Like all sea turtles begin, the leatherback turtle, so that the miners of the sand of their nesting beaches. Leatherbacks are many predators and the first years of life. Once at sea, lute teenagers still eat cephalopods, requiem sharks and diversity of large fish. Nesting females were looted by jaguars in tropical America. Apparently, adult leatherbacks is aggressively defended by predators. Dermochelys young people spend more time in tropical waters than adults.

With offspring with special benefits While other species of sea turtles almost always return to their hatching beach, leatherbacks may choose another beach area. Nesting beaches and the angle of inclination of the deep sea is a vulnerability for the turtles because such beaches easily erode. The nest environment typically includes a dark wooded area near the beach. Females excavate a nest above the high tide line with their flippers. About nine days between nesting events. Clutch size averages about 110 eggs, of which 85% were viable. The eggs hatch after 60 to 70 days. Like other reptiles, the temperature of the nest determines the sex of the offspring. Dig evening, infants in area and walk towards the sea Leatherback nesting seasons vary by location, but occurs from February to July in Parismina, Costa Rica. Farther east in French Guiana, nesting from March to August The Atlantic leatherback nest from February to July in South Carolina in the United States Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, Suriname and Guyana. People around the world still gather sea turtle eggs. In Southeast Asia, egg collection resulted in countries like Thailand and Malaysia to a near-total collapse of local nesting. In Malaysia, where the turtle has practically disappeared, the eggs are considered a delicacy. In Birds, small mammals, and other opportunists dig up the nests of turtles and consume eggs. Shorebirds feed on crustaceans and sea battles in infants. Leatherbacks are a little 'less than other types of anthropogenic threats sea turtles. The nests are attacked by humans in places such as Southeast Asia. Many human activities, indirectly Dermochelys populations. As a pelagic species, D. coriacea is occasionally caught as by-catch. Since the larger devices EXCLUDER turtle sea turtles, life can be ineffective with mature adults. High levels of phthalate was measured in the egg yolk "

Find The Life of Animals

Find The Life of Animals