Heatwave Speeds Turtle Hatching in Peru
Baby Turtles (Source: Joachim // Flickr)
On Thursday, thousands of turtle hatchlings were released into the Peruvian Amazon River.
The river turtles, known as taricayas, are considered “vulnerable” due to hunting and pet keeping.
Biologist Zabryna Pipa Perea says, “We are releasing life. We have released 3,200 yellow-spotted turtles already this year and, in total, 23,000 released in the Peruvian Amazon in the Maynas province.”
Efforts to conserve the river turtles began over 19 decades ago. In 2019, a repopulation project in the Peruvian Amazon protected 6,000 river turtles, in addition to others this year.
“We’ve experienced a drought this year a little on the strong side; that’s why hatching has been a bit higher than in previous years since the sun is so strong,” said Perea.
Peru has been experiencing a weather phenomenon called El Niño since the beginning of the year. As a result, the temperature of the Pacific Ocean has increased and has caused heavy rain on the coast. This extreme weather has also led to heatwaves and droughts in other regions.
According to Perea the normal incubation period lasts from 60 to 72 days, this year it has been shortened to 42 days.
The turtles were carried in containers and baskets by locals before being released into the river.
