About Us


Turtle Conservation And Education Center( TCEC) opened by the governors of Bali, Mr Dewa Beratha (20 January 2006) On Serangan island of Bali .TCEC is developed as part of the Comprehensive strategy to eradicate illegal turtle trading on the island .Established on a land of 2.4 ha, the TCEC is trying to support the community of Serangan to  find the alternative beside illegal turtle business. The center harness the potential education, tourism, conservation and research with a liberal sprinkling of business to give endangered turtles one more chance on Serangan. TCEC is supported by WWF, Governor Bali, the major of Denpasar, municipality authorities, the Provincial Nature Resource Conservation Agency and the local community.

The four fundamental aspects to the center including putting a definitive end to turtle trade, by encouraging the public not to consume the turtle products (religious use or otherwise) and to support turtle Conservation in general; providing turtles for rituals without their killing and monitoring turtle size and number, so that their use can be strictly controlled and regulated; offering employment opportunities for locasl from Serangan; and finally acting as watchdog for turtle trade - in Serangan in particular and Bali in general.

The center also directly helps to protect turtles; e.g., by hosting injured animals, collecting nests from tourist beaches and buying eggs from locals ( prevent them from being consumed). The eggs are bred at the center  and the hatchlings are raised for about one month and then released into freedom. Out of the seven sea turtle species, three are kept and raise at the center.  

 


The TCEC helps to preserve these

wonderful creatures going extinct. However, as all charitable organizations, we strongly depend on donations. Every amount, even a small one, will help us.


Adopt a baby turtle

At our center it is possible to get personally involved. For a small donation you can adopt your own baby turtle and give it back to nature with your own hands


Become a volunteer

Volunteering with sea turtles is a once in a lifetime experience. If you are looking to spend some time as a volunteer, please contact us or visit our website.





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Do Turtle Have Backbone ?

turtle backbone
turtle backbone

Turtle have backbones because they have vertebrae. unlike humans and other animals with backbones, the backbone of turtles is comprised of two part; the shell that form an exoskeleton and bony endoskeleton. the shell in turtles is very thought and is fuse with the spine and rib cage.

 

Let's talk about turtle's backbone in more detail now. 

 

A Closer Look at the Backbone of Turtles

You may already know that animals are classified into vertebrates and invertebrates

Vertebrates have backbones or spinal columns. meanwhile invertebrates lack a bony skeleton or backbone

Animal that belong to lower division of the animal kingdom are invertebrates

Turtle are reptiles so technical they have backbones however, their backbones are different from other animals

The ribs and backbone are fused to form the upper portion sea turtle's shell

So, it is a single rigid unit is non-pliable. hence turtles cannot bend or move their shell

However, turtles have small, flexible vertebrae in the neck and tail that allow them to move these parts

Now, the tough, bony shell of a turtle has two layers the outer area is formed of a protein call keratin

The keratin is arranged is arrange in the form of patches called scutes. 

The number of scutes will usually remain the same throughout a turtle's life 

However, these scutes develop more rings the turtle ages so, the rings within the scutes are an indicator of the turtles age

If you closely observe a turtle shell, you will notice that it's made of two parts

There is an upper dome-shaped structure and a flat lower structure

The upper part is called the carapace, while the lower half is the plastron

The carapace and the plastron are fuse along bony bridges that appears on the side of the turtle

This bridge extends from the forelegs to the hind legs in a circular fashion

The shell will also have space for the turtles head and limbs

When the turtle withdraws its head and limbs into the shell, the gaps for the head and the limbs remain exposed

How ever, some turtles have a hinge in the plastron

It allows them to pull the upper and lower halves of their shell together

This helps to minimize the gap where the head and the limbs appear

 

Can Turtle Live Without Their Shell?

We already saw that the shell is backbone of a turtle

Hence, it's an integral organ for animal

You may already know that the turtle retread into their shells when they sense danger

But did you know that their shell were not originally meant to be protective organs?

They would stay hidden inside their shell and wait for prey

When their prey came close, they would quickly shoot their heads out and catch

However, this organ later eveloved into protective armor that shielded the turtle form danger

Although shells are protective organs, remember that they are made of living bone

The shells as nerves bloody supply, and tissues 

Hence, a turtle can feel it when you touch its shell. if the shell is broken or injure, it pains

Since the shell is fused to the rest of the body a turtle cannot live without its shell

Hence, any stories you may have heard of a turtle abandoning its shell are purely fictional

Now, the good news is that a turtle can outgrow small shell injuries

Since it is made of living material. The shell can repair it self to great extent

However, recovery is very slow, hence it may not be able to survive if the shell is severely impacted or fractured

 

 

 

olive Ridley on carapace
olive Ridley on carapace

 

Do All Turtle Have Backbones?

Tehnically, all reptiles have backbones. The shell form backbone of a turtle

 

Do Sea Turtles have Backbones?

Did you know that sea turtles are one of the world's oldest vertebrates?

Their backbones are fuse to the shell composed of fused and wide ribs and bones

If you look at the shell closely, you will notice a raise line along the center that extend from head to tail

This is where the backbone of the animal is located

The shell is covered with horny plates called scutes in the most sea turtles

The pattern and number of scutes will usually vary from one species to another

While most aquatic and terrestrial turtles can at least partially withdraw their head and limb into their shells, sea turtle are unable to do so

Their shells are not big enough to conceal their heads and limbs and don't serve to hide them from danger

 

Do Leatherback Sea Turtle Have Backbones?

Leatherback sea turtle have unique shell structure

Unlike other turtles, their shell is soft and rubbery instead of hard and bony

However, these animals also have a backbone beneath the shell

In leatherback turtles, the spine is not fuse with the carapace

Instead, the backbones is covered with leather skin and supported bt tiny bones

The special adaption allows leatherback turtles to swim in the lowest depths of the ocean, where the pressure is extremely high

The water pressure at the lower depths of the ocean would crush a rigid, bony shell

However, the flexible leather shell of leatherback turtle can endure this high pressure

 

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why turtle floating

WHY TURTLES FLOAT AND WHY THEY FLOAT ON THEIR SHELLS

Turtles usually float in the water because of digestive problems such as gas. Gas pools that are not severe problems that turtles can easily handle. however, turtles also float due to respiratory problems. this leads to pneumonia which is the cause of the turtle's abnormality of floating in water.

A turtle floating is not something that is just taken for granted. it can be caused by something as simple as gas, or it can be caused by a severe respiratory infection.

Let's find out what causes turtles to float.

 

What causes turtles to float

Sometimes turtles surface to float because they are asleep, they use their inflated gullets to help them float.

If you find a turtle floating, you need to find out why they are floating.

The best way to ascertain this is to lightly press the turtle into the water.

If the turtle floats turned around like a ballon it is in distress, something is wrong with the turtle with immediate attention needed.

Turtles can float either due to gas or due to a severe respiratory infection leading to pneumonia.

 

Turtles float because of gas?

Gas is a common reason for turtles to float. 

If gas collects in the turtle's body, it will become light, you will find the turtle floating or tilting to the side. 

Gas builds up due to certain medications or introducing new foods into the turtle's diet. 

This is not a serious case and can be corrected over time. 

Sea turtle's in the wild have wide access to food in the water. 

The main gas formed in the turtle's body is from eating marine debris. 

The debris causes indigestion, blocking the digestive system. 

The gas that is not released makes the turtle float on the surface of the water. 

The turtle will then try to find food diving in shallow water. 

Lack of food intake or starvation can prove disastrous for health. 

Moreover, floating turtles are vulnerable to predators such as shark or whales as easy prey. 

 

Why turtles float is due to respiratory infections.

Respiratory infections can cause turtles to float in the water. 

Respiratory infections arise due to viruses, bacteria or fungi and then go to the lungs making the turtle sick. 

Early symptoms can be seen with a respiratory infection including excessive mucus in the mouth and nasal cavity. 

We can even see bubbles coming out of the mouth or nose. 

Turtles can also suffer from respiratory infections due to unfavorable habitat. 

Lack of food, lack of nutrients, lack of UV light, lack of hygienic places are some of the reasons that can lead to respiratory infections. 

If proper care and treatment is not given in the early stages, respiratory infections can lead to more serious problems such as pneumonia. 

In the advanced stages of respiratory infection, the turtle will begin to float abnormally in the water and be unable to submerge it self in the water. 

The turtle will become lethargic and its eyes will swell. 

The turtle will gasp for air as more fluid accumulates in its lungs. 

 

Why turtles float sideways

A turtle floating sideways can sometimes be a disaster. turtles can tilt or lean sideways due to digestive issues. 

Gas is the main reason why turtles float sideways. this is not a big problem and is to be expected. 

As soon as the turtle passes gas, it will be fine and will heal on its own without much difficulty. 

You can also seek medical advice and give your turtle floundering on its side, this is a significant problem and can be deadly. 

If you find your turtle floating sideways and unable to submerge it self into the water it is likely suffering from an advanced respiratory infection. 

It is most likely that the turtle has pneumonia. 

Pneumonia is mainly caused when turtles are exposed to cold water or kept in unheated tanks. 

Even vitamin A deficiency can cause infection and lead to pneumonia if not treated immediately. 

 

Does a turtle float when it dies

Just like other animals, turtles will decompose after death. gas forms inside the body of dead turtle, and gives off a foul odor. 

Turtles do not float on water immediately after death. 

Only after gas forms in their bodies, their buoyancy increases, and they float. 

 It takes about 16 to 32 hours for a dead turtle to float on water. 

After its death, gases accumulate in its body, and the turtle begins to decompose and float. 

 

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