July 18, 2025

Turtles in the News!

Drones help find the world's largest turtle nesting site.

From the Popular Science Article:

"Researchers from the University of Florida have uncovered the largest known nesting site for the threatened giant South American river turtle (Podocnemis expansa). How did they find over 41,000 nesting reptiles? By deploying a meticulous squadron of drones. The turtles were found gathered along the Amazon’s Guaporé River between Brazil and Bolivia. This innovative use of drones opens up new avenues for conservationists, as detailed in a study recently published in the Journal of Applied Ecology."

This is exciting news, as it will help conservationists utilize the technology to get more accurate counts on populations of turtles, as well as other species, which helps ensure that conservation efforts are working.

Read the entire article here. Then, visit Fernbank to see our Turtles exhibit, on view through Sept. 1, 2025, where you can learn more about different species of turtles and conservation efforts you can take to help these remarkable animals.