Stressed-out mothers taking children to the Tennessee Aquarium might be jealous of the attraction’s newest resident.
It’s got eyes in the back of its head.
Sort of.
On Wednesday morning the aquarium announced the hatching of a rare Beal’s four-eyed turtle. The new hatchling, about the size of a half dollar, is one of 21 of its kind known to exist in public zoos and aquariums throughout the United States and Europe, aquarium spokesman Thom Benson said.
The reptile gets its name from the two ocelli, or false eye markings, on the back of its head. Though the marks are not functioning eyes, they serve as “beacons” for other turtles and may help the turtle confuse potential predators in the wild, according to Dave Collins, the Tennessee Aquarium’s curator of forests and turtle expert.
Aquarium staff members have been monitoring and caring for the turtle since it hatched in June, but they waited until this morning to announce the hatching after they were confident in the animal’s condition.
“We just wanted to make sure he was healthy enough,” Mr. Benson said. “He appears to be very robust.”
Mr. Collins said it is too early to tell the animal’s gender, and it will go on exhibit as soon as it is eating regularly and is deemed strong and healthy enough.
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Staff Photo by Tim Barber
Dave Collins, curator of forests for the Tennessee Aquarium, holds a rare Beal's four-eyed turtle. The staff announced its newest resident on Wednesday. The turtle is native to southern China and is threatened because they are being eaten, according to Mr. Collins.
Being able to breed the reptiles is an important part of ensuring the species’ survival, officials said. The Beal’s and other turtles and tortoises are growing increasingly rare in their native lands because of the demand for their meat at markets and other body parts for medicines.
“The Chinese are basically eating them out of existence,” Mr. Collins said.
This turtle is the second of its species to hatch at the aquarium. Its older sibling drew national attention last year when it was the first Beal’s turtle to hatch in captivity in North America. Of the 21 captive Beal’s turtles in the world, Mr. Collins monitors seven of them at the aquarium.
Despite the staff’s enthusiasm toward the hatchling, Mr. Benson said not to expect a clever reptilian moniker.
“The turtles don’t get named,” he said.
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Andy began working at the Times Free Press in July 2008 as a general assignment reporter before focusing on Northwest Georgia and Georgia politics in May of 2009. Before coming to the Times Free Press, Andy worked for the Anniston Star, the Rome News Tribune and the Campus Carrier at Berry College, where he graduated with a communications degree in 2006. He is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration at the University of Tennessee ...
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