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turtles and giant tortoises [full nature wildlife documentary hd] mating, hatching
the world 200 million years ago saw some of the strangest
animals the head ever lived
it
nothing about them suggested they would become
a huge success 0
them but these turtles
were among the first Earth's great dynasties
reptiles
home
turtles then and now
our unique their bodies are encased in armor and that show
has changed over millions of views
the
for
varying greatly in size they colonized most in the world
but wherever they live
the basic shape up the turtles body remains the same
some land while internal support tortoises
are quite small others have become famous
as Giants home %uh
%uh some long neck types are at home in and out of freshwater
they and these shorter neck turtles are known as Terrapins
home
I'll 257 turtle species exist
the lives in every environment from the driest deserts
to the coldest extremes well
some that are gentle vegetarians have become welcome visitors to our homes
others hunt out of our view on
older than the birds
altered smale their success to their simple design
but future is for turtles
living life in a shell
for
the gone
powder room castle in is the ancestral home of Lord ever
it's also the home of timothy a rather venerable tortoise
to the present law or Timothy St
oldest member of the family to the first came into
our family in 1892 and he proves to belong to the captain rutherford
who was a sea captain and undoubtedly
he was on board ship for quite a long time
and this is given rise to number miss
suppose to it is leading city belonged to
pirates in a little too gone through two just
is the them the number girls at them
I think 'em adequate conscious about some
will maybe I'm other sums or a slow
whose name up the suggestion is that timothy
is at least a hundred and sixty-two years old I think you most lives on
the clovers and things that his favorite really is is
this cool breeze some ice on what about that
the lead to make a mistake any
is on his program we once had a the lady was
painted red toenails and see the roller shot *** the tornado
sir Nick Toon
thinks he knows you do it go that those who serve the 100
live
too cold reaching today
counting growth rings on their shell is not always a reliable guide
to a tortoises age rings very with died
but tortoises always live life at a slow pace
and that may be a reason for Timmy's record age
the fossil record
is our best guide to the history of TV's ends
the first we know lived some 300 million years ago in the world the forests that
gave us our caller
from such primitive weapons turtles diverged
first leaving dinosaurs and other reptiles to go their own way
through the ages there have been turtles a fantastic size and diversity
base or snakes emerge 100 million years ago
and witnessed the extinction of the dinosaurs that turtles have survived so
long
is due to the extraordinary design at the Shell
that protects their body the hill has remained virtually unchanged
for two hundred million years I
a thick layer of hardened scale is its first line of defense
but a broad bony layer the carapace
provide strength in other animals this bone would be rips
the turtles backbone is fused to the shell
it's the support under the bridge I'm
the shelhah the turtle serves many purposes on land its heavy
restricting movement but great protection up
underwater in a streamlined for up the shell allows for graceful swimming with
surprising speed
up
up power is provided by huge front flippers
up
sea turtles migrate thousands of miles swimming on the ocean currents
their hind limbs are mainly used as runners for steering
legs have no appeal for these settlers sea turtles only emerge onto land to
nest
and even then flippers are sufficient to haul the turtle
over a beach up
freshwater turtles or Terrapins do have Lex
with webbed toes to propel their streamlined shell
ok
when feeding on the bottom of the lake or river legs are more useful than
flippers
and Terrapins also climb out of the water
so their legs are essential up
a tortoise walking on land all the time need strong lakes
in this case to carry it out of danger the pancake tortoise
also has a flattened shell thats handy for fitting in the crevices
a caricature can easily spot a meal in these cracks
but the show love this tortoise being flexible can be tightly wedged in the
rock
this pancake tortoise is casing defeats the inquisitive kept
giant tortoises
and this one on a Galapagos Island is among the largest in the world
have no natural predators to hide from but they need weightlifters legs to move
their enormous shells
sheesh this one is hauling a house that weighs nearly 300 pounds
and is over an inch thick a tiny box turtle
leads a far more troubled life in raccoon country but its don't shell has
a
cunning device that usually out with such hunters it's time to take evasive
action
the shell
is hinged the drawbridge comes up and all the turtle
head limbs and tail is safe inside its castle
only when the raccoon retreats with the turtle venture out
that hinge on the lower shelf saved its life
the turtle shell has survive some huge challenges over millions of years
but sometimes no matter how good the design
the odds can be against it
that is one lucky tortoise
surviving the heat of the desert is a particular challenge for tortoises
they can only control their temperature by moving into an out of the Sun
doctor Jeff
love each at the United States Geological Survey is radio tracking a
desert tortoise
on a wind farm in california
desert tortoises have recently started to decline
and just wants to find out why here's one ever
females hello little warm out here isn't it it's only 9 o'clock right now
when it's already hot out here sprawling 95 degrees it's going to be a 115 before
the day is over
she's heading for the borough off to my right the tortoise needs the bird to
survive and protect itself from the extremes that are so characteristic of
the desert 115 degrees
30 degrees more than even this desert tortoise could survive out in the open
look at her walking into my shadow desert tortoises take
advantage of every opportunity they can to become cool in the
mid-day Sun at the other end up the thermometer
extremes have called present their own challenge some turtles in Canada
can survive freezing temperatures called
painted sliders their frozen bodies are not drawing breath
and their hearts are not be and yet they are not dead
Ste
old these hatchlings born in August
freeze and unfreeze throughout the winter until the final fall and spring
how the cells have their body survive this nobody knows
yet the painted sliders leave their nest
and start active life on hard
such marvelous abilities to survive were entirely to the turtle families
advantage
until humans appeared on the horizon in the centuries before refrigeration was
invented
it was sailors who took advantage of the turtles special qualities
since turtles can survive for several months without food
they could be carried aboard as a supply of fresh meat
killing turtles for their tasty meat is a very ancient practice
one
lamb lamp a direct hit it's painless monitor too low
because we use a special kinda popcorn point just enough water to penetrate his
help me out of here
that is now known to be nonsense
nerve endings by the hundreds fill both shell and bone
but myths die as hard as the turks these titles way from 300 to 500 power
and their age is estimated at Uptown three-year by the start of the 20th
century over exploitation
had brought some kinda turtles to the brink extinction today
turtle soup and meat consumption continues despite international laws
which attempt to protect endangered turtles up
ok the turtle may well be our
defenseless victim but in the natural world these successful reptiles
had for a long time been quite capable of defending themselves
ok
tiger sharks and their relatives kill sea turtles in deep water
but in the shallows this loggerhead turtle can turn the tables
of
the turtle is biting the shark it has no teeth
but the sharp serrated plates and its strong jobs can inflict serious injury
in shallow water the Sharks movements are restricted
and has difficulty fighting back after a breath of air
the valiant turtle can return defeating it can give as good as it gets
a loggerhead eats a variety of sea foods
but its peak is ideal for capturing hard shell prep
bad luck for this crap
up
in freshwater a camouflage
turtle is hunting this is a mathematical of
it will blend with the fallen leaves and wait for a fish to come within range
then it's simply sucks to me
in
the fearsome jaws have an alligator snapping turtle gay
and reveal a groom like pinned image on its time
lured by its wrigley a fish investigates this death trap
and there are even turtles that hunt together Donald strident knows that
visitors to this war d-ny Reptile Park in South Africa
are fascinated by the bloodthirsty Terrapins he exhibits there
it's feeding time in the Terrapin pool
advice but not big into this water
eat am but I'm getting something else too favorite feed
little piece of chicken yeah and that down
thank you to move towards this I'm guys
I'm 2.25% APY read yet Terrapins
compass they are only the most dominant becomes one now
its you what's called a review Terrapins but the little
gridlock behind the eye look at that
is the dominant one sandy he will come first and here comes one
serrated games Terrapins on the side here and there is never going to respond
to the movement
in fact they hefty problems cokie
yes you can see yeah want to come from me tonya
like tear I'm each other but much the
same way Puranas to must get up by tomorrow trucks and pieces of meat
on seen it happen Iraq in Ark greed is good really good
grip on it a terrible meet ok
this is all very necessary nature they clean up the place
thank the acquitted hyenas
forget big game watching here keep your eyes on these little guys
eating chicken on a plate in the reptile park is nothing
compared with how these Terrapins feed in the wind the Predators sizes up its
pressure these clearly
which flock in the house one Terrapin grabs a Burke
the others crowd into *** what they can
even birds as big as ducks are not safe from helmeted Terrapins
submarine attack ok
ok
alone Terrapin could overcome *** but hungry
rivals on their way
the and turtles can be even more competitive
when it comes to meeting
the birds have Dassin island of the cape coast of South Africa
share their tiny home not only with rabbits but also with more than 10,000
tortoises
but not until the temperature climbs to 75 degrees
did they come out cry male
angulated tortoises hold territory and once they've warmed up
they begin to chase females on their turf mom
once he's found one he won't easily let her go
well
so far so good but he's chased her onto another males territory
which will upset his plans them
they do battle
a tool in the Sun
but a third male has seen an opportunity
and he's meeting with their female
neither the combatants nor the vigorously made in couple
show signs of giving in
by the time the fight reaches its climax the mating is also over
the loser may even lose his life
he must write himself or else fry in the Sun
the temperature is rising rapidly
he must get into the shade but that's hard to find
with 10,000 competitors his answer
is to dig in covering head and limbs and using his shell
as a son she in tropical waters
temperatures are much the same all year round these male green turtles
near born will meet whenever a receptive female is available
the males have the long tails
they're all pursuing one female
a male succeeds in locking onto her shell and meeting with
rival males are surprisingly vicious trying to interrupt his success
these powerful jobs can injury flipper
and not only the metered mail but other rivals
also getting better
but to no effect the desire to mate
is strong and only when he has succeeded other males have a chance to take his
place
I'm
it
them
in the sea or on land turtles breed with little problem
but on the unique islands are the galapagos
a crisis has arisen at the Charles Darwin Research Station
the fortunes have the famous Galapagos Island tortoises
are being carefully monitored these tortoises
are Giants among the largest in the world and they are more than just a
tourist attraction
their endangered and their survival depends on them breeding in captivity
here
up
ok
these baby tortoise are the hope for the future
each island has its very own typeof giant tortoise
found nowhere else and in these pants
babies are being nurtured until they're ready to be taken to their particular
island home
in past centuries boats landed on each island to plunder
the docile Giants killing or collecting
today's boat is helping to right that wrong
bringing in young tortoises to replace those that were taken
up
this is the island of Espanola
the Espanola tortoise was once facing almost certain
extinction now the future arrives
in the back
a thousand young tortoises have been released like this
all bred from just $15 adults collected in the 1970s
they should be safer than they've ever been
they're only enemy was people and now the poacher
has turned protector in 20 years
they should all be as big as this adult but this success
has not been repeated for the tortoises AFP into on %uh
the last remaining resident have painted is living out his old age
at the Charles Darwin Research Station they call him
lonesome George of more than 70 years old
%uh he's the last at his species
all the others starved when introduced goats
8 the plants have been to and *** *** rats 8 the tortoise angst
zoos and private collections worldwide have failed to turn up around
0 and even as a mate were found he could be too old to breed
the Pinta island tortoise
may be the first turtle species to become extinct in the 21st century
0
the future of many of the world's turtles is a matter of concern
even the Olive Ridley sea turtles famous for their mass
Ed Lane on this beach in Costa Rica are arriving in fewer numbers
each sees 0 rental arouse is familiar with the spectacular re-body
as it's called here at Boston on ever since I was very young boy I was always
interested marine biology
but then one day was 1982 I was sick in your biology student I walked into the
school it was a big sign that said
re: bada we need volunteers but
well I've heard about the reebok has a natural nothing I should go check it out
then I came to Austin all right here at this but I saw everybody
happening writer then it struck me like I had to study turtles in
I've been doing turtles ever since
as many as 200,000 turtles might haul out onto this beach
on one night twenty years ago it would have been a million but this is still
one of the biggest re: bothers
in the world the Charles a right now congregating right out there
gonna congregate what we call the flow and
the start coming up after the Sun Goes Down and private midnight or one in the
morning
we have a very high concentrations journals nothing here on this page
and they're not gonna finish until sunrise Valley about eight or nine in
the morning
so yes can be some pretty hit pretty heavy work all night long
we basically know
that these journals come for two or three consecutive worry about it in a
row
then they're going to leave and we won't see the journal again for another year
for another two years the Ariba that we're witnessing now
me easily have a hundred thousand troops participating
and a hundred thousand journals out a hundred expert /url
roughly that means ten million
eggs are the Turtles investment in their own future but eggs can also produce
illegal income for poachers so patrols have armed guards protect these nesting
turtles
all night against take seems
this female may have made it with several males offshore
so each upper 60 to 100 fertilized eggs
may have a different genetic composition which is healthy for the future of
Olive Ridley turtles randall can also inspect the health of an individual
while she's lame
she seems to be unaware of him in a kind of trance
he examines her gently for signs a disease or injury
while she's in this curious semi-conscious state just why she
interest rents
is not yet known
the studies carried out on the speech indicate that roughly
eight-percent all the eggs laid on the speech actually hasn't earned a little
turtles
now that does not mean that these little children and adults
a wild guess is one out other hand
this beach in Austin all is only about four and a half miles long
and with turtles still arriving to nested on
there is not much space left and some inevitably dig up the nest serve others
many X get damaged and the Los
is enormous
the collection a bags is important for the local economy
but local people are only allowed to take them for the first 36 hours
up in our body it's a conservation plan they're happy with
the community lost in all protect their journals in many ways probably the main
way is
their respective management plan there are rules as to when you can harvest
when you can
and the community as a whole complies you can only harm is the answer the
first 36 hours
he accepted be packaged in a special way has to be receipt is all these people
work and the people buzzing all
comply with all these rules and regulations to their very best
and they get a good harvest without harm to the terms
softshell the aids travel well to a luxury market
where some are enjoyed over the bar in a pricey drink
they call Baca
well now that more and more people are living where they do
land turtles such as the California desert tortoise
face greater problems this rivalry concerns just love each
when you look at what people have done to the desert in the last 100 years
it's amazing that it survive I mean here we have this rugged old touchstone a
place that looks
timeless yet it's changing very rapidly in a place that was formerly virtually
empty of people and now sits in between Phoenix Las Vegas and Los Angeles summer
the most highly populated cities in the United States and
we put roads in through the whole desert we've driven over dinner motorcycles are
trucks are off highway vehicles
we've by encouraging spreading exotic species of plants and animals
said are changing the landscape in the desert very rapidly
in the desert tortoises become the flagship species
for conservation in the Mojave Desert but it
has a very uncertain future in terms of how it's going to be able to survive
in this onslaught of human population increase
its charm maybe a desert tortoises worst enemy
people like to have one at home
problems arise when the once loved pet outgrows its work
it seems so easy in kind
to let it go in the wild
but Fred or whatever his pet name has been
is about to cause problems among the wild tortoises
he will inevitably meet he appears to have a cold
a viral infection that he'll soon pass on to others
a whole population desert tortoises made i
because one unwanted pet was carelessly released
close to towns
tortoises are presented with other problems
our roads cross their territories and they get injured
very entered
another casualty for the vet but this one is not from a traffic accident
hi we have here have a look
worth
looks like it's been chewed out by a doctor
coyote or something a predator kate is it just like dead skin
that scale so this doesn't hurt systems like peeling get skin off
fiberglass can be used to repair tortoise bodywork
sometimes I feel like a cook when I'm doing this
cover up that will put it
covered up with another layer much
fine because it the fact that it's clear
we can see through it and see what that tissue looks like in here
so if it ever got to a point where that tissue started looking bad
we be able to take this shall catch of get in there and treat it
alright
convalescence for that injured terminal is available here
with Dan touchdown the San Diego turtle society
turtles are able to survive much more severe injuries than a mammal
because of their shell and a much slower Constitution
sorry I come on you wanna he also has or sins in his care
unwanted pets drink bottles all are pampered here
you know the guy breakfast time for you and there you go
problems you about the sizable warmer only a chip
country
in Florida turtles have acquired a special friend
Richard Moretti who's a bit surprised
by his new passion and no to the keys in 1983 and start fishing
everybody said oh you're so great came to the keys to save the animals no I
came to kill the fish
just living in the keys change it you appreciate the environmental or
okay surely I for and these are the new baby
concerned about sick and injured turtles he encountered in the late nineteen
seventies
Richard set up the Florida Turtle Hospital
and staff did with a dedicated veterinary team plans yet to get a
little larger
but yeah she's looking okay and cheesy just I feel a little salt water swimming
pool
way thought tarpinian grouper and snapper and all the children they came
to visit said they have an eternal
so in 1986 he went to the state of lard it how do we get sea turtles
ahead well either way you can have a little something for and I feel what
would you like to do
they said well we need a rehab earn a salary haver
get hit by a pro we take it at that a belly
by the pay the bill when it's ready we turn it out so I can do that
and that was our very modest start in the sea turtle hospital. he likes I
gotta casper
no before I am go to the keys I ran a Volkswagen facility
looks like the Canon broke into my job is to find the best mechanics in the
best parts
well this is the same the turtles Canon broke in my job is to find the best
thats and the best med it's the same except by now is that having a given the
bill
I pay the bill ready to make that night like that
I didn't get too wet this little tiller
is the beginning of a virus that affects Eternals around the world
this disease started a hundred years ago when we first started seeing it fifteen
years ago in the keys
turtles were coming with the singular tour like this are just hurdles
evidently just got the disease but he's only got a couple a very small tumors
which will take off
at once we do that lemme nizar against the disease bookkeeper for year
will make sure she doesn't grow anymore and they will let her go it appears to
be a *** virus very similar to *** simplex one into
and it's affecting Charles worldwide %ah
right now all eight species of turtles have a similar lesions
we have been able to get tissue samples to make sure it's the same virus
but we've got tissues samples for about half the Charles around the world and
all the ones we've been able examiner about 95 percent positive to the same
virus
some turtles infected with this *** virus
arrive in a much more advanced stage of the disease
the team intends to do everything they can
but this turtle has been greatly weakened by the growths
there is a contrast even shared a radio pasady here now this is not bone dance
in the science of tissue dance
I'm concerned about is we definitely need to go into the endoscopy in
document that to their with the
some to your photographs in
reason to that we have her back like this is that we don't actually poke into
something
I contest and her Blatter here
norian that's going to make her feel so much better
Kagan girl
persist directly in
area
the endoscope does not reveal good news they can recognize large tumors within
her body
in the wild she may not have lived much longer
mean okay now we need to roll back over because I need to first
suture suture in ABQ well that's not good news for this baby
fortunately is they can do nothing for her
except ease her pain and put her to sleep
all
the joy of success helps make up for the sadness a failure
and today 4 rehabilitated turtles are going home
look like they're ready yeah after never bring up the tank
I enjoyed it think tank called an ocean II
about two babies guys are you ready for this
you look ready your beat me up already get you
yep okay little doubt moments like this reassure Richard Moretti that their work
is worthwhile
alright guy choice and impairs
sounds good to me alright the roommates miss okay
any usually when you see wildlife being worked on it usually on a picnic table
in a buck night
we built a state-of-the-art facility give these animals
care they really there's little turtles that were just released with a cane and
they had been trapped in route when they were born in a struggle to get out they
were cut all the way the bones all over their body from struggling with those
routes
I took us two years to get ready and you saw those are nice healthy Charles
and the feeling taking a wild animal that's gonna live a lot longer than I
well
back out into the ocean it turning it loose for future generations
well you can see good times it's great nothing feels better than being able to
put something back to the future the No
the new
0
every day turtles can be seen enjoying the attentions have cleaner
show in the world
the fish feed on algae and in doing so clean the turtle shell
it's a partnership that's millions of years old
the new
generation after generation lived in what might have seemed
a perfect world
the new
but change is sweeping through the ocean
commercial fishing quelques minutes into the sea
which can break loose and drifted catching much more than intended
these death traps can also sneer and round frightened turtles
helplessly bound they cannot swim to the surface to breeze
on shrimp nets have also taken a toll on terms
scientist John Mitchell in the
late nineteen seventies and early nineteen eighties in Southeast Region
the United States we
estimated that possibly 40,000
sea turtles were killed
incidental to trent wrongly and
this problem created a need for either
a shutdown in the fishery for the development
some apparatus for a technique to
exclude the sea turtles from patrol
what they developed was tear a turtle
exclusion device it's tested inside the trauma had
have a working fishing
the net is being dragged behind the boat and the Ted
is fixed inside the net at the end the idea is that a turtle in the net
hits the device is pushed up the ramp and escapes through the top at the net
only alive
turtle contested
in this situation a turtle would normally be fatally trapped with the
shrimp
but on reaching the Ted the *** much bigger than the shrimp
hits the bars is guided upwards and out into the sea
none the worse for it experience it's a simple invention
but it saves the lives of many turns and the use of ted's
desperately needs to be encouraged worldwide
here in Central America we know that in Costa Rica at least at least 15,000
tales
are being called a year and of course is definitely can have an impact on the
population
there's a denture alright over there you can see time
almost definitely killed by a shrimper and Costa Rica was
implementing ted's efficiently this would no longer be the case
in the sense that this speech in Austin on
the Olive Ridley turtles have been developing for some sixty days
what happened under the sand as the eggs hatch is quite special
the eggs at the bottom up the nest hatch first
the hatchlings climb to the top the chamber
and down below San fills the space they left
as more hatch the floor is gradually lifted to just below the surface
and the hatchlings emerge together
once out of the nest hatchlings must head for the sea
but how do they know where it is
light is a crucial factor for orientation the sea
is always brighter than the last
it's thought that when they're grown these turtles will return to this very
same beach to lay their eggs
turtles also hatch in daylight
most race directly for the ocean but they can now be seen by predators
theirs is a lonely and dangerous journey
on this beach almost every animal has a taste for turns
but predators such as this black vulture don't always get to eat their fill
survival up the turtles is important to the local people
when the girls are hatching the women are organizing to go to the beach
issue the Predators a way to make sure that the little Charles can make it into
the water
they try to make sure that all these little Charles make it to the water
safely
because of course it's in their best interest make sure that the soldiers
make it to the water
the eventually turned adl's and come back and participate in in re: bada
ten years on the road
although some 10,000 hatchlings will survive to become a doctor
us remember 10 million eggs were laid in the sense
with a little help these youngsters will be out to sea
where they will drift away on the currents
no one knows where they go perhaps they hide from ocean predators among floating
seaweed
where they can safely feed and grow but it will be 15 to 20 years before they
return to these waters
before people ever began helping turtles to survive
alligators had been unwittingly doing so for millions views
young red-bellied turtles are hatching from eggs laid in the alligators nest
the running heat is warm and humid
as good for incubating total savings as it is for hatching alligators
both
stand to gain alligators eat a good many adult red belly
turtles up
for two hundred million years
turtles with their curious bodies and cased in their remarkable shelton's
have endured all manner of change around them
today's world is unlike that long ago the oceans are threatened by human
pollution angry
the mean *** home runs have become desks
Islands are overrun by firm and the future
for these reptiles may depend on us Wed
we don't know really what role they play in
in the overall
scheme of things the ecosystem and I think that's one reason why we should
use any means to protect them there are many many animals that we
really don't humans don't see a need
to to spend the effort in the time servant
just the fact that we
don't know I think
means that we should 0
throughout the world your respective culture there is an affinity for the
turtle
throughout the world we have myths that describe various characters and features
two terminals that we like to teach our children like
being steadfast in being resolute here in this country we have our own myth
about the tortoise and the hare in
we teach our children that been steady and continuing to run the race can lead
to victory you don't have to be the passage you don't have to be the best
this year we were really excited for the turtles that weakens the problems last
year in turn you loose it was a great thing
female probably about fifty years old she crawled up on a beach in Central
Florida in late exist here
and that's really exciting because you know up to that point people usually
kept hurdles that with one flipper and aquarium
were in an hour and I i park well we prove that
dont remember charles can go out there and add to genetic makeup
and they can actually crawl up on the beach with three members will have their
babies in later innings
the
their two hundred million years old as a living fossil should we put back in the
ocean
hopefully with that a lot of help from our friends at help us work on Charles
will see them into the next millennium
but it makes you feel really good you know you so much
our assets and our environment up
it's so nice to put something back to the future on
to learn more about what you've seen on this nature program
visit PBS online at PBS doc or
or america online keyword PBS
buddy much the same way for honors
to got together bunching up taxing pieces of meat and
see that happening rockin R really is
really good grip on it morning bottles you know the guy
breakfast time for you
yeah there you go bubbles you about the size will warm up
only a chip look like they're ready yeah
everything out thank God I enjoyed it think tank called an ocean
II had like two babies guys
are you ready for this you look ready your beat me up already
get into yep okay ended up
we
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