‘Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins’ talk at SCCF
There are 15 species of turtles documented for Sanibel and Captiva. These include sea turtles, ornate diamondback terrapins, Florida box turtles (pictured) and gopher tortoises. SCCF does sea turtle nest monitoring in the summer, count gopher tortoise burrows in October, and do surveys in our protected wetlands for the other fresh water turtle species.
Come and learn about the diamondback terrapins that live in the mangroves that were once eaten in turtle soup. Jewel, Gem and Handsome are swimming in their own 220-gallon tank at the SCCF Nature Center. Watch Lucky, the softshell turtle, inhale her food like a vacuum cleaner while snorkeling in her tank. Meet Happy the 5-year-old snapping turtle. Also, Alice the gopher tortoise is back in her summer burrow behind the Nature Center.
Join us on Tuesday, June 14 at 10 a.m. to learn more about the “Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins of Sanibel and Captiva.” Following a PowerPoint presentation, we will tour the live tanks. Cost of the program is $5, with SCCF members and children admitted free. Call 472-2329 for more information.