Five Beal's-eyed Turtles hatched at the Tennessee Aquarium recently, a significant conservation milestone for this species.
Five Beal's-eyed Turtles hatched at the Tennessee Aquarium recently, a significant conservation milestone for this species.The first Beal's-eyed turtle ever hatched in a North American zoo or aquarium hatched at the Tennessee Aquarium in 2007, with more hatching in 2008, 2013 and 2014.
In fact, there are only 20 Beal's-eyed turtles in accredited U.S. institutions, and all are currently at the Tennessee Aquarium. But herpetologist Bill Hugues is working to transfer a few of the turtles to other zoos, where he hopes they will breed.
"We will start by transferring three Sacalia bealei to the Knoxville Zoo to help ensure this group flourishes," Hughes said in a news release.
The idea is to eventually breed enough of the turtles to begin reintroducing into the wild - so long as their natural habitats are protected. For many years, the turtles were sold for food in markets across southeast Asia, but are now impossible to find, said Thom Benson, senior marketing and communications manager for the Aquarium.
Now, demand for the turtles has caused poachers to hunt for them in other places they appear.
"They wiped out a lot of the turtles in that part of the world, so the net keeps getting wider and wider," he said. "Today, we can go out on the Tennessee River and see turtles basking in the sun, and not realize that is a very special thing."
Five Beal's-eyed Turtles hatched at the Tennessee Aquarium recently, a significant conservation milestone for this species.