- Jackie Tliemat is a PhD student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi studying diseases in Texas Tortoises
- May 23, 2024 is World Turtle Day
- Texas Tortoises are a threatened species and people often confuse them with sea turtles
- Jackie started the "Tortoise Taxi" service about a year ago
- Drivers can call the number on her car if they see a tortoise in distress and Jackie will go help it
Its World Turtle Day and one local tortoise research PhD student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi took it to a whole new level.
Jackie Tliemat founded the "Tortoise Taxi" service last year, right around World Turtle Day and it has been a great success. The "Tortoise Taxi" is Tliemat's car, decorated in turtle drawings and a phone number where you can reach her to tell her if you see a tortoise or turtle in potential distress.
“A lot of people don’t know how to tell the difference between turtles and tortoises which can lead to things like people seeing a tortoise and being like, oh it’s a turtle it should go in the water," Tliemat said. And then they, you know, in good nature, throw it in the water. And I’m like oh, that’s very kind of you for thinking of them, but that’s not a good move. So, I wanted to get more information about tortoises out to people in a way that was really accessible and everyone would see, which having a car, a lot of people see cars on the road.”
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas tortoises are considered a threatened species and have been on the list since 1977 due to their low reproductive rate, heavy exploitation rate by pet suppliers, and other factors.
There is a $10,000 fine if a person is found in possession of a Texas tortoise. In the future, they could potentially get re-categorized and become endangered species because of how often people mistake them for sea turtles, causing them to not handle them properly.
Tliemat wanted to start the "Tortoise Taxi" to inform people about Texas tortoises in an efficient way, so that people can communicate with her about where they spot one and Tliemat can get it the proper help and care it may need.
"I got inspired when I saw this person on the East Coast who drives around what she calls the squid mobile, to get information about cephalopods out to other people and I do so much driving for my research, I was like, oh it would be really cool to set up my car to have a number people can text to learn about tortoises, because a lot of people don't know how to tell the difference between turtles and tortoises," Tliemat said.
While all tortoises are still considered a part of the turtle species, the main telltale sign of the difference between a turtle and a tortoise is the dome shape of a tortoise's shell.
"The dome shell helps give more protection from predators and whatnot, so dome shell means its a tortoise or more of a land-dwelling turtle," Tliemat said.
Tortoises like to hang out in thick, scrubby vegetation areas, such as the Oso Bay Wetlands here in Corpus Christi. Tliemat recommends that if you see what you think maybe a tortoise, enjoy its beauty and take a picture from a distance, but do not touch or move it out of its habitat.
Tliemat does her "Tortoise Taxi" driving all over the state of Texas, so if you see it on the road, feel free to call or text 1-361-857-4131 whether its to tell Tliemat about a tortoise in possible distress, or just to receive some tortoise facts.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
