A rare turtle contemporaneous with dinosaurs found in Odesa region: how to save it.

A rare European marsh turtle, which is on the brink of extinction and existed during the time of dinosaurs, has been found in the Odesa region.

The State Ecological Inspectorate of the South-Western District reported this important discovery.

Rare turtle

In the village of Shyryayeve, near a pond, ecologists encountered a European marsh turtle. This species is currently listed for nature protection and is legally protected by convention.

'If you are lucky enough to see a marsh turtle - do not take it in your hands, do not drag it home, do not feed it 'from the table'. Just preserve this meeting in a photo and memory. As we did.'

Contemporaneous with dinosaurs

The ancestors of the European marsh turtle appeared 200 million years ago. Although only 12 out of 26 families of this species have survived.

In the Odesa region, this type of turtle survives in waters of various bodies of water, but the main threats to it are the drying up of small water bodies and changes in riverbeds.

The rare European marsh turtle found in Odesa region attracts significant interest both among ecologists and the general public. This species, which has existed since the time of dinosaurs, requires special protection and attention from people to avoid disappearing from our planet. Even the smallest efforts to prevent the extinction of these turtles can have a great impact on preserving the biodiversity of our planet.