Vertebrates

The world-famous beaches of Antalya, the home of endangered caretta carettas, fell silent this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. As the weather gets warmer, the sea turtles are expected to go to the beach to lay eggs in adult nesting areas later this month.

Tiny bits of broken-down plastic smaller than a fraction of a grain of riceare turning up everywhere in oceans, from the water tothe guts of fish and the poop of sea otters and giant killer whales.

Yet little is known about the effects of these "microplastics" — onsea creatures or humans.

Although all eight species of pangolins are banned from international trade, the "scaly anteater" population is still under deadly threats as they continue to be the world's most trafficked mammals.

A semi-aquatic, rat-like creature has found a new home in eastern Turkey on Jan. 28, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Jan. 29. (AA Photo)

South America, coypu, rodent,

A semi-aquatic, rat-like creature has been spotted in Turkey's northwestern province of Edirne far from its native South America.

Farmers in Edirne complain that coypu, considered an invasive species, have come to the region through the Maritsa and Tundzha rivers when Bulgarian officials opened reservoir gates due to flooding risk.

Representatives of the Sami indigenous population in Sweden are worried that climate change could put an end to their traditional livelihoods because reindeer are starving, the AP reported.

A caretta caretta sea turtle being monitored via a transmitter has set sail to the Mediterranean from Anatolia for the second time in four months, probably for a longer journey towards Africa.

Two baby macaque monkeys, rescued from illegal kidnapping at the Habur Border Gate of southeastern Gaziantep province, were named "Peanut" and "Olive" (Fıstık and Zeytin in Turkish) by the locals.

Some 115,000 baby caretta caretta (loggerhead) sea turtles made it to the sea in Turkey this summer, according to a report released by the Environment Ministry.

Animal rights activists have released a loggerhead turtle, also known as Caretta Caretta, back into the wild on the Turkish Cyprus coast.
The loggerhead turtle named Astrid was found heavily injured on the coast of Girne in Turkish Cyprus in September 2015 and was held in captivity for four years while she recovered from her injuries.