He is over 100 years old, weighs about 175 pounds, is nearly 35 inches long, five feet tall, and the ladies love him. His name is Diego. Diego the Chelonoidis hoodensis Galapagos giant tortoise.
According to Washington Tapia, a tortoise preservation specialist at Galapagos National Park, Diego "has fathered an estimated 800 offspring, almost single-handedly rebuilding the species' population--and saving it from extinction--on their native island, Espanola, the southernmost in the Galapagos Archipelago."
"Around 50 years ago, there were only two males and 12 females of Diego's species alive on Espanola, and they were too spread out to reproduce."
Six years ago, they did a genetic study and discovered that Diego was the
father of nearly 40 percent of the offspring released into the wild on Espanola, thereby doing more parenting than any other turtle to repopulate the species.
"He's a very sexually active male reproducer. He's contributed enormously to repopulating the island," said Tapia.
"Rawr, damn straight," replied Diego.
turtle
Turtle love is bodacious, dude!
That's what Jenn Kaminski, a self-described "unemployed creative" in LA, wants you to know. She's found true love, which just happens to be in the shape of a life-size Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leonardo balloon.
The happy couple posted their announcement on Facebook this week in a set of hilarious engagement photos.
"Me and my bae decided to take a couple's photo shoot today. I think we look great," Kaminski wrote.
With the help of three of her friends, Kaminski was able to capture these precious moments forever. But why did they go through all of this trouble?
"We simply had a birthday balloon, an overabundance of free time and too many engagement photos in our Newsfeeds," they wrote.
Best wishes on your impending nuptials, Jenn and Leonardo. May your life be filled with years and years of pizza!
Guarding endangered sea turtle nests doesn't sound like it would require a gun, but one guy in Florida thought it necessary.
New York Daily News reported that 72-year-old Stanley Pannaman was just minding his own business July 18, volunteering for an organization who protect sea turtle habitats until the little eggs hatch and the turtles find their way into the sea.
The Tamarac resident, who grew up in Queens and raised his family in Bay Shore, Long Island before retiring to Florida in 2001, volunteers for a local group that sits by sea turtle nests on the beach and ensures they are not disturbed until the tiny baby turtles hatch and go to the ocean.
The nests are surrounded with sticks and tape and Pannaman makes sure no person or animal hurts the sea creatures. When they are born the tiny turtles may be drawn to the light from nearby cars or homes, so Pannaman will pick them up and bring them to the water.
That is until Michael Q. McAuliffe came along and ruined the night.
McAuliffe, who was very drunk, got close to the protected habitat and in the volunteer's face about his dislike of "turtle people". He jumped on Pannaman and took the Vietnam veterans gun away. McAuliffe then shot the elderly man in the abdomen where the bullet lodged in his derriere.
The police came, arrested McAuliffe and sent Pannaman to the hospital who was then released July 19.
Despite being shot with his own wedding, the Florida has no regrets.
Pannaman said he doesn't regret bring the gun and is just happy he didn't bring his normal Taurus .357 Magnum that would have caused him greater injuries.
"I figured I was going to the beach, I figured I could just carry the .32 caliber pistol," he said.
Thankfully, all the sea turtles are fine and nary a bobcat was seen near the nest.
Blade is a spur-thighed tortoise who can’t walk on his own due to a bone metabolism disorder. His heavy shell puts too much strain on his weak legs.
So a German vet name Dr. Carsten Plischke decided to build him a tiny wheelchair made out of his son’s Legos.
He glued the blocks to the bottom of his shell, and with the extra support, he can now glide around much easier while building up strength in his legs.
The video is in German, but the overwhelming cuteness transcends all languages.
For the next iteration how about we upgrade him to a sweet Lego DeLorian?
I, For One, Etc. of the Day: A turtle standing on its hind legs, heralding humanity's imminent demise.
[buzzfeed.]
