Turtles and tortoises have been around for 157 millions years, so let's make sure they continue to survive and thrive
Biologists and other experts predict the disappearance of turtles and tortoises within the next 50 years.
Susan Tellem recommends that adults and children do a few small things that can help save turtles and tortoises for future generations:
Never remove turtles or tortoises from the wild unless they are sick or injured.
"Our first priority here in the United States. is to ask pet stores and reptile shows to stop the sale of hatchling tortoises and turtles without proper information for the buyer,” says Thompson.
“For example, many people buy sulcata tortoises as an impulse buy because they are so adorable when they are tiny. The breeders and pet stores frequently do not tell the buyers that this tortoise can grow to 100 pounds or more and needs constant heat throughout the year since they do not hibernate.”