About 3,500 sea turtles are rescued from the frigid temperatures in Texas.
Record-low temperatures have threatened several animal species in Texas this week, including about 3,500 sea turtles that have been rescued and brought to the relative safety of dryland.
In colder temperatures, turtles can hunt in a condition called “cold stun” when their body temperature is so low that they lose the ability to swim, eat, or even hold their head above the water .
“You can put a cold-banging turtle in a half-inch of water and they will drown,” said Wendy Knight, executive director of Sea Turtle Inc., a nonprofit group in South Pader Island, Texas, which maintains it. helping. Turtles are safe until they can return to the water.
Turtles rescued by people on the beach or boats are being kept on plastic-covered leases and allowed to heat for several days at the South Padre Island Convention Center.
Other animals in Texas have also been affected by the storm. Chimpanzees in a sacred sanctuary in northern Bexer County have reported cold-related deaths of several monkeys, lemons and tropical birds, According to the San Antonio Express-News. And El Paso Zoo Found and rehabilitated a frigate – a type of seabird – after it was blown off.
Ms. Knight said the scale of the cold stun event for sea turtles was the largest in decades and could have a population-level impact. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Five sea turtle species found in Texas are listed as “Endangered” or “Endangered” under the Endangered Species Act.
In addition, a few dozen turtles at immediate risk are housed at Sea Turtle Headquarters, where they are being rehabilitated for most injuries. The facility is coming on its third day without electricity.
