All Entries in the "Animal News" Category
Black Backed Gull Release
Today the National Marine Life Center had participated something outside our normal daily activities of education programs and turtle care. At roughly 3PM , the NMLC crew took a brief moment out of busy schedules to celebrate a quick and joyous moment to release our Black Backed Gull friend. Our gull friend, formerly known as Winger, was spotted [...]
NMLC Seeks Animal Care Technician
ANIMAL CARE TECHNICIAN & FACILITIES COORDINATOR (full-time): The National Marine Life Center seeks a full-time animal care technician and facilities coordinator to work with stranded sea turtles, seals, and (eventually) dolphins. Responsibilities include: ~ animal husbandry; ~ acting as primary liaison between the veterinarian(s) and animal care staff and volunteers; ~ performing animal health assessments; [...]
The Think Tank: Dory’s Weekly Blog for NMLC
How time flies when you’re helping turtles! It’s difficult for me to believe that it’s already mid-July, and yet I feel that in the 1 1/2 months I’ve been here, I feel we’ve accomplished a lot. The center is now bustling with activity, as people bring their kids in to the Discovery Center for Fins [...]
The Think Tank: Dory’s Weekly Blog for NMLC
I realized on my last blog that I did not really talk too much about the daily duties of an intern. Therefore, this blog will just be a broad recap on some of the recent goings-on at NMLC. Because some very significant donors came this past Thursday to take a look at the animal hospital, [...]
Diamond-backed Terrapin RELEASE 6/14!
On June 14th our eight diamond-backed terrapin hatchlings are going home! These small turtles, listed as “threatened” by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, hatched too late in the season last year to survive the cold winter. They’ve spent the past 7 1/2 months in a nice, warm environment at the National Marine Life Center. Daily, volunteers [...]
June is Turtle Month
The following is a news release from MassWildlife, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. As we begin to hear about turtles crossing roadways, we thought it important to share this information. JUNE IS TURTLE MONTH June is the month when normally aquatic snapping, painted, spotted, red-bellied, Blanding’s and other turtles leave the relative safety [...]
Red Belly Release TOMORROW 5/28
The following is a Media Advisory from MassWildlife: WILDLIFE AGENCY INVITES PUBLIC TO RELEASE OF RARE TURTLES As part of a conservation effort led by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), the public is invited to join Mary Griffin, Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game, and MassWildlife staff biologists to help release [...]
Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
I’ve avoided blogging about the oil spill in the Gulf in part because I’ve felt it’s not my story to tell. I’ve been doing my part to keep informed, share good information across Twitter and Facebook, and put my name on a NOAA list of potential trained responders available if needed to relieve wildlife response [...]
Celebrate Endangered Species
Today is Endangered Species Day. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service observes Endangered Species Day “…in order to recognize the national conservation effort to protect our nation’s endangered species and their habitats.” We’d like to recognize the 74 endangered and threatened species that the National Marine Life Center has cared for over the past six [...]
Swim Test for Patty
When Patty the Diamond-Backed Terrapin first came to us, she had difficulty moving. Having been frozen, she needed physical therapy to learn to use her legs again. Over the months, she regained her mobility and could move around easily in water and in land. We kept her in water deep enough to cover her and [...]
If You Care, Leave Them There!
The following is a press release from MassWildlife, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. As we begin to get calls about baby turtles and baby seals, we thought this message was particularly appropriate. LEAVE YOUNG WILDLIFE ALONE! The arrival of spring means the arrival of newborn and just-hatched wildlife. These youngsters soon venture into [...]
Having that lump checked
Patty, our diamondback terrapin who lost her top shell due to being exposed to freezing conditions on Cape Cod almost one year ago, had a minor procedure to have a lump checked. The mass was felt on a physical exam and confirmed on CT, but the exact nature of the mass is uncertain. A soft [...]
Don’t Feed Wild Dolphins!
Dolphins Need Our Help. Serious and even fatal dolphin injuries from interactions with recreational fishing gear and boats are on the rise. You can prevent injuries to dolphins and other sea life – and have a better day on the water – by following a few tips designed to protect marine animals. The following “Best [...]
Breakfast at Patty’s
This morning I joined volunteer Wendy for breakfast at Patty’s! Actually, she was the only one eating but it was fun to watch. Despite the severe infection that has caused her to lose most of her top shell (“carapace”), Patty has not lost her appetite. It’s one of the factors that lend us the greatest [...]
Wearin’ o’ the Green
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day…. There is one sea creature that embodies “wearin’ o’ the green” – the Green Sea Turtle. Green turtles are named not for the color of their exterior but for the color of their interior! Adult greens have green fat! You are what you eat! And in the case of [...]
Service Spring Break, part 2
National Marine Life Center Journal Entries Frank Reske, III Day 2: March 15, 2010, 9 am – 12 pm Today was my second day at the National Marine Life Center. Today I watched as the veterinarians and workers did another check up on Patty. The reason they do so many checkups on Patty is because [...]
The Inside Scoop
To investigate what is really going on inside we took Patty to WHOI for another CAT scan, so what did the ‘cat’ have to say about the turtle ? There is a new shell forming under the pink tissue we call the pseudo-shell, this is good news but at this point the new shell is [...]
Service Spring Break, part 1
National Marine Life Center Journal Entries Frank Reske, III Day 1: March 9, 2010, 9 am – 11 am Today I went to the National Marine Life Center for my interview for my summer internship. While I was there, I watched them do a check up on a turtle they call Patty. She is a [...]
Thanks Tobey Hospital !
The Animal Care staff is very grateful to the generous donation of a Narkomed anesthesia unit from Tobey Hospital and particularly for the help from Robert Casmira to coordinate this effort. This fully functional unit, while no longer the state-of-the-art for human anesthesia, is more advanced then the vast majority of veterinary units and has [...]
Shell Game
Patty continues to loose aspects of her top shell, called the carapace, secondary to the damage caused by the exposure to freezing temperatures almost a year ago. The delayed tissue lost is a consequence of micro-vascular damage and a lost of blood flow to the shell (avascular necrosis) which resulted in bone death. Patty is [...]
