Climate victims part 1, the sea turtle

Many animal and plant species are suffering from more extreme weather conditions or rising temperatures. The problems caused by climate change are very diverse but have one thing in common: they pose a serious threat to many animals. The World Wildlife Fund proposed a top 5  together of remarkable climate victims. The five animal species in this top 5 serve as an indicator of the state of the ecosystem of which they are a part. It is not only the survival of these species that is threatened. It is a harbinger of the damage that climate change will cause to entire ecosystems. In the coming weeks, all five species from the top 5 will be featured. Today, first up is the sea ​​turtle. Sea turtles belong to the reptiles. They are found in tropical and some subtropical and temperate seas. Most species can travel enormous distances at sea, although they must breathe regularly. When at rest, they can remain underwater for a long time. Of the seven species of sea turtles, six are critically endangered. Humans are a direct threat to sea turtles. They are caught for their meat, blubber, and shells, but also end up as bycatch in fishermen's nets. Another problem is climate change. Due to rising sea levels, more and more low-lying beaches where sea turtles lay their eggs are disappearing. Furthermore, foraging grounds are also under pressure due to dying coral. Additionally, due to rising temperatures, the hatchling changes sex in the egg of some species; the males become females. This occurs when the seabed is approximately 30 degrees Celsius.   Australia (Cocos Islands) 2002 Barbados 2007 On the two stamps above, the green sea turtle Also known as the green sea turtle, pictured. The shell of this turtle can grow to 1 meters long, and the animal can weigh up to 200 kilograms. They live in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Occasionally, one is found in the North Sea, but it does not belong there. The diet of the green sea turtle consists mainly of seagrass. It can reach a swimming speed of 40 kilometers per hour and only comes ashore to lay eggs.   Australia (Cocos Islands) 2002 Barbados 2007 The stamps of the Cocos Islands and Barbados show loggerhead turtlesThese resemble the green sea turtle. The shell of this turtle grows to about 1 meter in length. The animal then weighs nearly 150 kilos. That is already heavy, but specimens weighing as much as 500 kilos have even been found. The loggerhead turtle eats snails, crustaceans, fish, and also plants from the seabed and is found in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans, as well as in the Mediterranean Sea. Late last year, two severely weakened specimens washed ashore in the Netherlands. One on a beach in North Holland and one in Zeeland. They were both transferred to a zoo.   France (New Caledonia) 2002 Angola 2007 An image of the karetschildpad we find on the stamps above. The hawksbill turtle lives in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. This turtle is smaller than the previous two. The shell grows to about 90 centimeters in length, and then this turtle weighs about 75 kilograms. It feeds mainly on sponges, snails, and crustaceans. The hawksbill turtle has black scales on its legs and head, which form a net pattern. This makes it easy to distinguish from other species of sea turtles.   Angola 2007 United Kingdom (Montserrat) 2007 On the Angolan stamp is the thousand depicted and on that of Montserrat the Kemp's turtleThese turtles belong to the genus LepidochelysThey are considerably smaller than other species of sea turtles, measuring approximately 70 centimeters. The olive ridley is found in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans and feeds on crustaceans, fish, jellyfish, and snails. The diet of the Kemp's turtle consists of small marine animals and seaweed. It is sometimes sighted in the Atlantic Ocean, but its true habitat is the Gulf of Mexico. The Kemp's turtle is the most endangered species of sea turtle. Hopefully, the sea turtle will not be extinct in a few years. It will certainly not be for lack of effort on the part of the World Wildlife Fund. Now it is up to humanity itself. And I am not just referring to the problem of global warming. Hunting sea turtles is strictly prohibited, yet despite this, there is a great deal of illegal fishing for all species. In Indonesia and China, for example, sea turtle meat is used in soup, and people believe that the shells have medicinal properties. And in Japan, the shell is considered a good luck charm. Perhaps the population of these countries needs to come to their senses.