<p>Soccer moms and Little League dads aren't the only ones living the good life in the 'burbs. Eastern long-necked turtles in the Australian suburbs are living fat and happy, according to new research in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&amp;_udi=B6V5X-4X8V57X-3&amp;_user=10&amp;_rdoc=1&amp;_fmt=&amp;_orig=search&amp;_sort=d&amp;_docanchor=&amp;view=c&amp;_searchStrId=1058035431&amp;_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&amp;_acct=C000050221&amp;_version=1&amp;_urlVersion=0&amp;_userid=10&amp;md5=40b6fb65eb901adba05f3d56f57b5e4e" title=""><em>Biological Conservation</em></a>. The finding came as a surprise to the research team. According to <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8315000/8315197.stm" title="">BBC News</a>: </p><div class="vert-display-toggle collapsible relative flex flex-col items-center "><div class="vert-unit mt-4 mb-3 top-20"><div ad-type="mobile-desktop" class="ad-wrapper vert min-h-boombox flex items-start justify-center" data-ad-mapping="inline" data-ad-slot="Discover/inline-ad" id="div-inline-ad-0"></div></div><span aria-label="Advertisement" class="text-ad mt-1 text-[11px] uppercase">Advertisement</span></div><blockquote><p>"We expected suburban turtles to move around less than those on the nature reserves in response to the many threats that suburban turtles could encounter, but we found the opposite," says Dr John Roe, a member of the research team from the Institute for Applied Ecology at the University of Canberra, Australia. "Suburban turtles traveled longer distances and occupied home ranges nearly three times larger than turtles in the nature reserves."</p></blockquote><p> Seems like suburbanites are forcing McMansions and longer commutes on turtles now too. Related Content: Discoblog: <a href="/planet-earth/band-of-turtles-takes-over-jfk-tarmac-delays-flights" title="">Band of Turtles Takes Over JFK Tarmac, Delays Flights</a> Discoblog: <a href="/planet-earth/multibillion-ant-megacolony-set-to-take-over-the-globe" title="">Multibillion Ant “Megacolony” Set to Take Over the Globe</a> Discoblog: <a href="/planet-earth/bees-on-a-plane-10-000-bees-swarm-an-airplane-wing-in-massachusetts" title="">Bees on a Plane! 10,000 Bees Swarm an Airplane Wing in Massachusetts </a></p><p><em>Image: flickr / </em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcouper/" title="">reggie35</a></p><div data-embedid="dcfb67aa-fdf4-4a19-b4c7-75c497a8de9c" id="insticator-embed-temp"></div>

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Discover how Eastern long-necked turtles thrive amidst suburban life, surprising researchers with their vast movement ranges.

Planet Earth

Turtles Thrive in Suburbia, Less So in Nature Preserve

Article

News

Brett Israel

Science

Soccer moms and Little League dads aren't the only ones living the good life in the 'burbs. Eastern long-necked turtles in the Australian suburbs are living fat and happy, according to new research in the journal Biological Conservation. The finding came as a surprise to the research team. According to BBC News: "We expected suburban turtles to move around less than those on the nature reserves in response to the many threats that suburban turtles could encounter, but we found the opposite," says Dr John Roe, a member of the research team from the Institute for Applied Ecology at the University of Canberra, Australia. "Suburban turtles traveled longer distances and occupied home ranges nearly three times larger than turtles in the nature reserves." Seems like suburbanites are forcing McMansions and longer commutes on turtles now too. Related Content: Discoblog: Band of Turtles Takes Over JFK Tarmac, Delays Flights Discoblog: Multibillion Ant “Megacolony” Set to Take Over the Globe Discoblog: Bees on a Plane! 10,000 Bees Swarm an Airplane Wing in Massachusetts Image: flickr / reggie35

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