Researchers study turtle patterns
5/25/2012
By NIKKI WILEY The Brunswick NewsIt's high tide on Jekyll Island and Brian Crawford is on the Downing Musgrove Causeway on Thursday looking for diamond terrapin turtles attempting to cross the dangerous roadway.When he spots one, he abruptly pulls the Georgia Sea Turtle Center van safely off the road and hops out along with AmeriCorps volunteer Dan Quinn.With gloved hands, the duo race to a terrapin sitting still in the middle of the road. They are too late. The turtle is dead. But there may be hope for the reptile's progeny. An egg shell is lying next to her on the causeway.|
|
"I think she's got an egg inside of her," Crawford says as Quinn takes the turtle's temperature with an infrared thermometer.
It's all part of Crawford's doctoral work being completed alongside Georgia Sea Turtle Center researchers to understand the impacts of human activity and traffic patterns on nesting turtles.Crawford and Quinn bag the turtle and take her to the Sea Turtle Center, where they will later attempt to produce a hatchling from the egg.
Posted
by Tortoise Blog
