Sea Turtle Protection Society Saves 80 Turtle Babies!

Something very exciting just happened in Indialantic, Florida in cooperation with the Sea Turtle Preservation Society.

A call came into the pager of one of the volunteers, she was told baby sea turtles were popping out of the nest. The volunteer headed to the scene, with a bucket in tow hoping to save as many of the babies as possible. They succeeded in saving 80 sea turtle babies. During the day the sand is so hot it will fry the babies if they are not picked up right away. They were released that night as during the day it's too hot and too dangerous due to predators.

It takes 1,000 eggs to have one mature sea turtle. So the stranding team works very hard to save as many turtles on the beaches. The Sea Turtle Protection Society periodically gets these kinds of calls. Earlier last week, 5 babies were rescued but we're deceased before they reached the facility. Two weeks prior, 23 babies were rescued then released into the water.

The STPS's mission is simple "to help sea turtles survive". The volunteers are dedicated to sea turtle educating the public about protecting sea turtles, research and rescuing sick and injured sea turtles that arrive on their beaches. They often take advantage of educate the public in the vicinity as they release babies into the water.

The Sea Turtle Protection Society is happy to announce that Brevard Zoo will be opening a rehab center that will save turtles a long trip to another facility and this will save more lives.

Sea turtles are an endangered species.

photos taken by Debbie Livingston

14 Unusual Facts About Hummingbirds

Here at Little Critterz, we are fascinated by hummingbirds. I bet that everyone knows they can fly incredibly fast, and they are so often found in our gardens I enjoy having a humming bird feeder. But did you know this about these birds?

1. The average lifespan of a hummingbird is about 4 years. In one instance, a female hummingbird lived over 12 years. 
2. Common hummingbirds wing beats 50-200 times per second, on average.
3. It's a common misconception that the sugar-water in the feeder should be red. It shouldn't. Do not put any dye into the mixture. The red and yellow coloring on the feeder itself is what attracts the hummingbird.
4. Hummingbirds are able to hover by flapping their wings in a figure-8 pattern.
5. They are an endangered species.
6.  Hummingbirds are only found in the Western Hemisphere.
7. Habitat loss and climate change are the biggest threats to hummingbirds.
8. They are the smallest bird in the world.
9. They can flash or hide their colors when they want. 
10. A hummingbird's brain is 4.2% of it's body weight, the largest in the bird kingdom.
11. They can hear better and see farther than humans.
12. Hummingbirds do not use their beaks to drink nectar like a straw, they lap up the liquid using their tongue.
13. They can weigh between 2-20 grams. A penny weighs 2.5 grams.
14. They can dive at speeds up to 60 miles per hour.

Sources

http://www.hummingbirds.net/

http://www.defenders.org/hummingbirds/basic-facts

http://www.worldofhummingbirds.com/