World Turtle Day Is Finally Here!

May 23 is World Turtle Day! The holiday was established in 2000 to by the American Tortoise Rescue organization to help encourage others to help save the turtles and tortoises!

Turtles and tortoises have been around for about 200 million years and are the longest-lived animals known to humans.  One  tortoise was estimated to be 50 years old when it was caught, and then survived another 152 years in captivity!

Even though they live a long time, turtles and tortoises are in danger for a number of reasons. Mostly, it is because their habitat is being destroyed.

For example,  though grown desert tortoises can survive longer than a year without access to water,  their population has decreased by 90% in the last 60 years or so.

Do you know the proper way to help a tortoise cross the street? If it's headed toward the other side of the road and you pick it up, you should take it safely to the other side, in the direction it's headed. If you pick up the tortoise back where it came from, it'll turn around and try to again!