Turtle Cam

FEATURED TURTLE:

This small Kemp's ridley swimming in the tank was found weak and injured by fishermen on the West End of Galveston    Island. If suffered shell fractures and was missing its right front flipper and part of its shell along the edge. After being retrieved by the National Marine Fisheries (NMFS), the turtle has been cared for by NMFS staff and Dr. Joe Flanagan DVM from the Houston Zoo. Named Milagro, the turtle is now stable but needs recovery time prior to a possible release in May/June.

Species: Lepidochelys kempii

Common name: Kemp's ridley

Species Status: Critically Endangered

Age: Approximately 2 years

Gender: undetermined

Potential Release: offshore in May or June

Unique Characteristics: Kemp's ridley turtles are daytime nesters, the smallest species of sea turtle, and are endemic to the Gulf of Mexico

Nesting Season: April to July

Conservation: Current conservation threats include ingestion of debris, loss of developmental habitats and adult foraging grounds, incidental capture, and boat strikes

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