Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: neilep on 14/02/2009 14:43:28
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Dear Don1 and Turtleologists,
As a sheepy I of course love oil. I prefer the olive stuff myself ! I buy a bottle and place a couple of garlic cloves in there and leave for a day or two and ewe have the most amazing garlic oil to have with crusty bread and a little salt and pepper !!...hmmm...it's well delish !!
See Edgar-Montague Peregine Penceforth The 3rd here ?
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Nice eh ?..he's coming round for tea next Tuesday !
Say Ed quit the earth and left his body to be displayed in a museum, apparently it would drip oil for up to 50 years !...This is in fact the reason that many museums do not display large turtles.....(well..REAL ones that is !)
So, what is it all about with the oil and that ?...why 50 years of oil viscous flow ?...and is there not a way to ' treat ' an ex-turtle so that it would not drip oil ?
Thanks Don1 and other peeps who know about this kinda thing !
Hugs & Shmishes
mwah mwah mwah mwah
Neil
Turtles Are my Friend
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Perhaps a coating of Turtle Wax (http://www.turtlewaxuk.com/) would seal a leaky turtle. [:)]
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Well I don't know about Edgar, but one of his cousins, Lenny the Leatherback would certainly make a heck of a mess.
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcarlsafina.files.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fsafina-and-leatherba_5f16c3.jpg&hash=49c25c2e99763a6bd09bd0b03680e61a)
Big chap isn't he? Well actually she! This female has come ashore to lay her eggs. I don't think much to the midwife, do you?
Leatherbacks have an extremely high oil content in their bodies, presumeably this acts as a sort of antifreeze when they dive deep into the oceans to feed.
Take a look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherback_turtle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherback_turtle) and here http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/canwaters-eauxcan/bbb-lgb/creatures-animaux/reptiles/index_e.asp (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/canwaters-eauxcan/bbb-lgb/creatures-animaux/reptiles/index_e.asp)
Just in passing, did you know that 'tortoise shell' used for decoration on some antiques (it's use is now prohibited) is in fact turtle shell. Tortoises are more commonly referred to as land turtles in the USA.
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After a little search I found this site which will help explain the Leatherback's oily nature.http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/animalphysiology/websites/2005/Fitzpatrick/Gigantothermy.htm (http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/animalphysiology/websites/2005/Fitzpatrick/Gigantothermy.htm)
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FANTASTIC DON !...this helps explain it all.
They are well ' blubberised '.
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Here's an unfortunate Loggerhead turtle in the news today.
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fd.yimg.com%2Fi%2Fng%2Fne%2Fafp%2F20090216%2F10%2F3165968155-japanese-turtle-prosthetic-limbs.jpg&hash=01fff41f0c9e89aa9058cdf0f50588f9)
A Japanese conservation group said Monday it plans to fit prosthetic front limbs to a sea turtle injured in what marine scientists believe was a shark attack. "We need to pay special attention as the forelimbs will have to be strong enough to (allow her) to climb up a beach," Erika Akai, a researcher at the non-profit Sea Turtle Association of Japan, told AFP.
"She should eventually be able to lay eggs on a beach."
The injured loggerhead sea turtle, with a 74-centimetre (30-inch) long shell, was named Yu after being rescued off southwestern Japan following a suspected shark attack last summer, Akai said.
The animal was placed in an aquarium in western Tokushima prefecture.
"Since we cannot release her like this, because her swimming capability is only at 60 percent of that of a healthy turtle, we decided to make prosthetic fins for her," said Akai, adding that the project would start in May.
The association has set up a fund and asked Japan's largest prosthetic limb maker in western Osaka prefecture to make the artificial fins.
"We are fully aware that it will be a difficult challenge," said a spokeswoman for the company, Kawamura Gishi Co. "But we were moved by the passion of the association and decided to take part in the project."
Source AFP