Flying Turtles?

A recent genetic study carried out at Boston University suggests that turtles evolved from the same ancestor as that of birds.  This research challenges previous anatomical and Paleontological assessments that indicated that turtles either evolved from the ancestor of all reptiles or evolved from the ancestor of snakes and lizards.  Nick Crawford, a post-graduate researcher in biology, and his colleagues attained these findings by using computational analysis to examine regions of the different animals' genomes.  They recently published their results in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.  Genetic analysis such as this is allowing us to better understand how branches of life diverged to give us the the many varieties of animals that currently inhabit the earth.

Even without knowing about such research it is easy to image the link between turtles and birds when one sees a sea turtle "flying" through the water. Visit Turtle Treasures gifts to find the perfect sea turtle gift.

Lonesome George

He has been called the rarest creature on earth. Lonesome George (or Solitario Jorge as he is know in his home in Ecuador) is the last know Pinta Island tortoise. This is one of the subspecies of the famous Galápagos Islands tortoises that were first made famous by Charles Darwin, who found them during his famous voyage of discovery on board the HMS Beagle in 1835. Darwin observed that tortoises on each of individual islands of the Galápagos chain had slightly different shaped shells. This was a clue that helped lead him to develop the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection.

George first came to public attention in 1971 when he was relocated to the Charles Darwin Research Station (located on one of the islands) because the vegetation on the island where he lived had been devastated by goats that had introduced to the island by man. George is estimated to be 100 years old. But he is in good health and scientists think he could easily live for another 50 years or more. The Galápagos Islands tortoises are the largest living species of tortoise--Lonesome George is five feet long and weighs over 200 pounds.

George is called lonesome because there is no know females of his sub-species for him to mate with. Should she not turn up somewhere, and two tortoise hit it off, the Pinta tortoise will likely become extinct when Lonesome George dies. If you happen to find a Pinta female to introduce to George there is a reward of $10,000 waiting for you! You can learn more about Lonesome George on Wikipedia. A book about George titled "Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of a Conservation Icon" by Henry Nicholls was published in 2006.

If you go and visit Lonesome George be sure to put a picture in this beautiful Pewter Turtle Picture Frame from Turtle Treasures.

NEW Tranquil Turtle by Cloud B

Do you have children that have a hard time getting to sleep or would much rather slip into Mommy and Daddy’s bed than stay in their room?

During the Toy Fair this year a new product was introduced by Cloud b—The Tranquil Turtle. The innovative new toy transforms any room into a peaceful seaside oasis. Tranquil Turtle projects a magical underwater light effect with a gentle wave motion and plays two soothing sounds to help children sleep. The Tranquil Turtle package includes an illustrated storybook, adoption certificate, and endangered sea animals guide.

Cloud b is best known for the popular Twilight Turtle. The company has become a trusted name with parents worldwide with award-winning products that are developed in consultation with an Advisory Board of pediatricians and specialists.

Parents that visit our store are very complimentary about the Twilight products. In fact, one of our customers gives the Twilight Turtle or Twilight Ladybug for all of the baby showers she receives invitations to. The mother’s to be are delighted with the gift.

Making a Turtle From Balloons

If you have agile fingers, like to entertain people and are not afraid of popping balloons, try making turtles out of balloons at your next party. Kids are fascinated watching a turtle being created out of a few simple balloons. A great way to learn how to "twist" balloons is by watching videos on your computer. You can find several good videos showing how to do make a really cute turtle on YouTube.

People who create animals and other things out of balloons are called Twisters, Balloon Benders or Balloon Artists. In many areas you can find someone who does this professionally and you can hire them to entertain at your party. A good Web source for learning about balloon twisting and one that has a directory for local professional twisters is BalloonHQ. But there is no reason you can't "twist" turtles out of balloons yourself - with a lot of practice. Of course it is also best to have the right materials. Balloons that are good for twisting are specially made and can be ordered on the Web or purchased in party shops. You will notice in most videos that balloons are referred to by numbers. (For example, the most common size of twisting balloons is called a "260", as it is approximately two inches in diameter and 60 inches in length.) Balloon twisting as a form of entertainment has been traced back to 1939. So get some balloons and be the star of your next party. But don't forget to put in some practice time beforehand!

An Unusual Turtle

The Black-Knobbed Map Turtle is as unusual as its name. (It is also called the Black-Knobbed Saw Backed Turtle, which actually seems a better fit to me.) It came to my attention when I read about it in an article "Bizarre and Exotic Pets" on the Bukisa website. What immediately catches your attention about this small turtle are the protruding spikes along the center line of the turtle's shell. These fresh water turtles, which are listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are found in rivers throughout the Southeast United States.

Find interesting and unusual gifts at Turtle Treasures, where you can find hundreds of turtle related gifts and read more fun facts about turtles!