Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 108 , December 2013, pp. 1-25. | Page 14

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screens are used on every confirmed nest to prevent excavation by resident red foxes. A new concern with the steel cage technique is interference with the normal development of the nestlings' magnetic sense due to the use of ferrous wire, which may disrupt the turtles' ability to navigate properly. Efforts are underway to find a nonmagnetic material that will prevent predators gnawing through the barrier (Wikipedia). Up to 40% of nesting females around the world have wounds believed to come from shark attacks (Wikipedia).

The Loggerhead Sea Turtle on the coast of Gaza, State of Palestine. 28.08.2013. Photo by Ihab Fasfous (Dunya Al Watan, 2013).

Diseases and Parasites
Infectious bacteria such as Pseudomonas and Salmonella attack loggerhead hatchlings and eggs. Fungi such as Penicillium infect loggerhead sea turtle nests and cloacae (Wikipedia). Fibropapillomatosis disease caused by a form of the herpes-type virus threatens loggerheads with internal and external tumors. These tumors disrupt essential behaviors and, if on the eyes, cause permanent blindness. Trematodes of the family Spirorchiidae inhabit tissues throughout the body of the loggerhead, including vital organs, such as the heart and the brain. Trematode infection can be highly debilitating. For example, inflammatory trematode lesions can cause endocarditis and neurological disease. A nematode, Angiostoma carettae, also
Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 108 – December 2013