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The Biology of Sea Turtles, Vol. II
are expensive. For turtles up to 35 kg and 65 cm straight carapace length, a
relatively inexpensive shipping container can be made by fastening two plastic
concrete mixing trays together with nylon cable ties. The tray that forms the bottom
of the container is lined with a piece of saltwater-soaked foam cut to fit. A wet
terry cloth towel can also be draped over the carapace and flippers to assist in
keeping the turtle from drying out. Excessive evaporative cooling must be avoided,
and wet towels should not be used when shipping during cool weather. Coating
the carapace and skin with a petroleum-based (Walsh, 1999) (Vaseline ® , Cheseborough-Pond’s USA Co., Greenwich, CT) or water-based lubricant (KY ® ,
McNeil-PPC, Inc., Skillman, NJ) may help prevent desiccation. The top of the
tray is fastened to the bottom with nylon cable ties inserted through 6-mm holes
drilled through the top and bottom lips of the two trays. This arrangement does
not allow the shipper to easily inspect or replenish water lost during transport,
and therefore this shipping method should be reserved for very short trips of 2 h
or less, or for unaccompanied air travel.
16.10.2.2 Long Distances
Large turtles can be shipped long distances using readily available rental trucks. The
cargo compartment of a rental truck can be subdivided into individual compartments
with 19 mm plywood. The cargo bay is lined with a waterproof tarp or plastic to
contain moisture and prevent damage to the vehicle. Ten- to 15-cm-thick foam is
cut to fit the bottom of the compartment and is soaked with seawater to keep the
turtle moist. Additional moisture can be added using a fine mist from a spray bottle
directly onto the turtle, and new clean water may be required to replace water lost
to evaporation. Transport in this fashion should be limited to trips less than 12 h
and when the cargo compartment can be kept between 23 and 30∞C. If possible, the
turtles should be shipped in darkness to keep activity to a minimum. Some rental
trucks have a translucent fiberglass roof, and light transmission through the roof will
increase turtle activity.
16.11 GROW-OUT FACILITIES
The NMFS Panama City, FL (NMFSPC), sea turtle holding facilities consist of
nine pens and a series of individual holding containers. Stocking densities of
loggerhead and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles need to be carefully monitored when
captive turtles are allowed to interact with one another in a confined environment.
Aggressive behavior has also been observed in green (Wood, 1991) and hawksbill
sea turtles (Glazebrook, 1990). Although water quality is less of a concern in a
pen-type environment, lesions caused by biting and fighting can seriously compromise turtle health. Sea turtles held in pens rarely venture from the sides, thus
utilizing only a fraction of the available pen surface area. Construction of pens
that maximize perimeter is preferred to pens that maximize open water (Higgins,
unpublished data).
1123_C16 Page 430 Tuesday, November 12, 2002 8:28 AM
The Biology of Sea Turtles, Vol. II
are expensive. For turtles up to 35 kg and 65 cm straight carapace length, a
relatively inexpensive shipping container can be made by fastening two plastic
concrete mixing trays together with nylon cable ties. The tray that forms the bottom
of the container is lined with a piece of saltwater-soaked foam cut to fit. A wet
terry cloth towel can also be draped over the carapace and flippers to assist in
keeping the turtle from drying out. Excessive evaporative cooling must be avoided,
and wet towels should not be used when shipping during cool weather. Coating
the carapace and skin with a petroleum-based (Walsh, 1999) (Vaseline ® , Cheseborough-Pond’s USA Co., Greenwich, CT) or water-based lubricant (KY ® ,
McNeil-PPC, Inc., Skillman, NJ) may help prevent desiccation. The top of the
tray is fastened to the bottom with nylon cable ties inserted through 6-mm holes
drilled through the top and bottom lips of the two trays. This arrangement does
not allow the shipper to easily inspect or replenish water lost during transport,
and therefore this shipping method should be reserved for very short trips of 2 h
or less, or for unaccompanied air travel.
16.10.2.2 Long Distances
Large turtles can be shipped long distances using readily available rental trucks. The
cargo compartment of a rental truck can be subdivided into individual compartments
with 19 mm plywood. The cargo bay is lined with a waterproof tarp or plastic to
contain moisture and prevent damage to the vehicle. Ten- to 15-cm-thick foam is
cut to fit the bottom of the compartment and is soaked with seawater to keep the
turtle moist. Additional moisture can be added using a fine mist from a spray bottle
directly onto the turtle, and new clean water may be required to replace water lost
to evaporation. Transport in this fashion should be limited to trips less than 12 h
and when the cargo compartment can be kept between 23 and 30∞C. If possible, the
turtles should be shipped in darkness to keep activity to a minimum. Some rental
trucks have a translucent fiberglass roof, and light transmission through the roof will
increase turtle activity.
16.11 GROW-OUT FACILITIES
The NMFS Panama City, FL (NMFSPC), sea turtle holding facilities consist of
nine pens and a series of individual holding containers. Stocking densities of
loggerhead and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles need to be carefully monitored when
captive turtles are allowed to interact with one another in a confined environment.
Aggressive behavior has also been observed in green (Wood, 1991) and hawksbill
sea turtles (Glazebrook, 1990). Although water quality is less of a concern in a
pen-type environment, lesions caused by biting and fighting can seriously compromise turtle health. Sea turtles held in pens rarely venture from the sides, thus
utilizing only a fraction of the available pen surface area. Construction of pens
that maximize perimeter is preferred to pens that maximize open water (Higgins,
unpublished data).
1123_C16 Page 430 Tuesday, November 12, 2002 8:28 AM