Nature is indeed full of surprises.
It’s so beautiful but it seems like it hasn’t unveiled some of its hidden wonders yet. And some of them are being found unexpectedly.
Just recently, a rare sea turtle was found on South Carolina beach.
The Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol was working on sea turtle nests on the aforementioned beach when they found the beautiful creature.
The lone turtle caught the attention of the volunteers because of its amazing color.
According to Seaworld Parks and Entertainment, a sea turtles’ color-range,
“can be olive-green, yellow, greenish-brown, reddish-brown, or black in color. Some green turtles and hawksbills have shells patterned with streaks and blotches of brown or black.”
But this one has a creamy white color.
The Town of Kiawah Island shared its photos on Facebook – which brought happiness to Facebook users.
“This morning, our Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol #kitp , Zone 8, inventoried the last nest on the island. #338. You can imagine the excited “oohs”and the “aah’s” from the guests, including some @collegeofcharleston students, when the patroller found a lone, leucistic hatchling in the nest,” they wrote on the post.
They also mentioned the explanation behind its rare color.
It’s due to Leucism.
It’s a condition that causes loss of pigmentation in an animal. Wikipedia says that leucism has been noted in some animals such as white buffalo, king cobra, moose, white stag, and many more.
Clearly, it’s very rare to see this condition in turtles.
One green sea turtle named Cloud also has this condition.
An article was published by Olive Ridley Project and it’s all about Cloud. In that piece, they mentioned how odd leucism is for turtles.
“Although there are no exact figures for how many turtles are born with leucism, we know it is extremely rare. Leucism is an abnormal genetic defect and not a useful one.”
Though the baby turtle’s appearance happened to be bizarre, it doesn’t make him any less beautiful.
In fact, many people were stunned by its breathtaking looks.
“This is so beautiful! Thanks to all of the Turtle Patrol Volunteers who protect and watch over these beautiful creatures,” one commenter wrote.
Another commenter also expressed his interest in where the turtle would be placed in the future.
“Wow, what a find! Lucky individuals who were there, congratulations and great work! Are you going to be taking it to the SC Aquarium or someplace else? Will look very forward to seeing this little creature in the future! Please keep us informed.”
The Amazing Team
The Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol has undeniably been doing a great job in taking care of sea turtle nests. That’s why many people also praised them for their hard work – which they truly deserve.
If not for people like them, our nature would probably be at stake.
It’s also delightful to think that there are plenty of wonders that nature has to offer. Although we haven’t seen some of them, we should keep in mind to appreciate and cherish them wholeheartedly.
Never ever forget that without nature, we are nothing.
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