It’s time to shell-ebrate turtles at new Fernbank Museum exhibition

The traveling exhibition will debut at Fernbank before moving to other locations across North America starting Sept. 1.

Through live turtle demonstrations, interactive educational displays and presentations, “Turtles” explores the unique anatomy, fascinating behaviors and resiliency of this ancient animal order.

“Turtles” was developed by Little Ray’s Exhibitions, the traveling museum exhibit division of Little Ray’s Nature Centres. Little Ray’s is one of North America’s largest exotic animal rescues, with locations in Ottawa, Ontario, and Syracuse, New York, plus a nonprofit arm, the Foundation for Animal Rescue and Education. The turtles coming to Fernbank have been provided by FARE.

Credit: Getty Images

Credit: Getty Images

“We went for as much diversity as possible to showcase just how different turtles are from each other,” said Cheryl Sheridan, logistics manager for Little Ray’s, who worked with Fernbank to develop the debut.

“We do have a lot of species that are local to North America that might be familiar to people, like the red-eared slider, the spotted turtle and the diamondback terrapin. But we also have a lot of turtles from afar as well.”

The softshell turtle and the bigheaded turtle are two more that might defy expectation.

“We believe that ‘Turtles’ will change everything you thought you knew about these incredible reptiles,” CEO of Little Ray’s Exhibitions, Paul Goulet, said in a press release. “… This experience reveals just how bizarre, diverse and fascinating these creatures really are.”

Turtles are one of the oldest living groups of reptiles, with a fossil history that dates back more than 220 million years, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. Turtles appeared before dinosaurs fully rose to dominance.

“They have survived through multiple mass extinctions,” Sheridan said. “… But they’re currently highly periled because of human activities.”

The exhibition includes an educational conservation component to teach visitors what behaviors they can change to benefit the future of turtles. Some perils challenging turtles include pollution, poaching, bycatch (the unintended capture when targeting other species), habitat loss, road crossings, changing ocean temperatures and an increase in predator populations sustained by new food sources from urban sprawl.

“The public can make a difference and help protect future populations of turtles,” Sheridan said.

She cited simple actions such as securing urban trash, moving turtles off roads safely (by supporting the shell) and reducing single-use plastics that end up in oceans.

Turtles specific to Georgia also will be highlighted.

“Georgia has its own special stories when it comes to turtles,” Fernbank’s director of education, Sarah Arnold, said in a press release.

The Georgia coast is a nesting ground for several species of sea turtles, the barrier islands provides marsh habitat for diamondback terrapins and the sandy soil of South Georgia is home to gopher tortoises, a keystone species.

“All of these species have faced survival challenges, and the citizens of Georgia have worked to rehabilitate their populations,” Arnold said.

Credit: Courtesy of Fernbank Museum

Credit: Courtesy of Fernbank Museum

To supplement the exhibition, Fernbank’s Giant Screen Theater will screen “Coral Sea.” The film features footage of turtles, jellyfish, sharks and coral reefs, while telling tales about conservation efforts in the waters around Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Climbable sculptures to take “shell-fies” will provide one more layer of family entertainment.

If you go

June 7-Sept. 1. Fernbank Museum, 767 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, 404-929-6300. fernbankmuseum.org.