Costa
Rica
Investigates
Mysterious
Death of
Sea
Turtles
Scientists
in Costa
Rica are
studying
the
death of
at least
10 and
12 more
ailing
turtles
in the
southern
zone.
Universidad
Nacional
(UN)
told the
press
that the
environmental
organization
MarVia
found
the 22
turtles
floating
near
Matapalo
beach.
Lepidochelys kempii |
Ten of
the
Kemp's
Ridley
turtles
died
within
days of
bringing
them to
shore
and
biologists
and
veterinarians
have no
ida of
what
caused
their
deaths.
According
to
Widecast
Network,
this
occurs
when
creatures
have
been
floating
adrift
in the
water
for a
prolonged
period.
Widecast
diretor,
Claudio
Quesada,
told the
La
Nación
that the
turtles
could
have
been at
sea for
more
than two
months,
as they
showed
dehydration
and lack
of
feeding
for
weeks.
Chemicals
from
nearby
drainage
from
crops of
palm,
rice and
pineapple,
given
their
concentration
of
agrochemicals,
could be
the
reason
as some
of the
substances
could
affect
the
turtles.
So far
this
year
another
41
Kemp's
Ridleys
were
found in
the
biological
reserve
on Caño
Island
in a
similar
state as
those of
Matapalo.
* Kemp's
Ridley (Lepidochelys
kempii)
is a
critically
endangered
species
of sea
turtle.
It is
one of
two
living
species
in the
genus
Lepidochelys,
the
other
one
being L.
olivacea,
the
Olive
Ridley.
It is
also the
rarest
sea
turtle.
Kemp's
Ridley
is the
smallest
living
sea
turtle
species,
reaching
maturity
at 2–3
feet
(61–91
cm) long
and
averaging
only 45
kilograms
(99 lb).
It is
typical
of a sea
turtle,
having a
dorsoventrally
depressed
body
with
specially
adapted
flipper-like
front
limbs.
Like
other
sea
turtles,
it
possesses
a horny
beak.
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