There are only seven species of sea turtles recorded and six of those are classified as endangered. Kemp’s Ridley is the smallest of the all the species, with a full grown adult weighing between 80 to 100 pounds. Their top shells or caraspace are oval or heart shaped. They inhabit warm waters and the females return each year, mostly to the same beach for nesting from April to August. The females nest three times per season laying 100 to 110 eggs in each clutch.
Incubation lasts from 45 to 70 days. Sexual maturity is not reached until the turtle reaches the age of 35. The hatchlings sex is determined by the temperature of the climate during incubation. The cooler the temperature the greater the chance of the sex being male.
Galveston has the only “Turtle Barn” in the nation. The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) turtle lab houses as many as 450 turtles in saltwater tanks. The facility is no longer open to the public, so the event on Saturday February 19th is a rare opportunity to get a look at the facility and learn what the island is doing to help these endangered animals.
(Pictures: animals.nationalgeographic.com, wikipedia)
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