GCTTS News
Be sure to watch the PBS special on turtle conservationist Richard
Ogust. It will air on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 at 10PM on KUHT. For more
information, see:
http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2007/chancesoftheworld/
--
Bob Smither
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News Post for February, 2007
Join the GCTTS Field Trip to the NOAA Fisheries!
GCTTS is hosting a field trip for members and their families to the NOAA
Fisheries Sea Turtle Center in Galveston Saturday, June 9, 2007. Meet at
the Sea Turtle Center a little before 2 p.m. The tour will last about an
hour. I-45 to Galveston becomes Broadway, Right on 53rd St. (McDonald's
is on the corner), Left onto Ave U, Right onto Sias St. and the NOAA
Fisheries entrance.
Approximately 600 sea turtles are raised in their facility each year.
Kemp’s ridley hatchlings obtained from Mexico and loggerhead hatchlings
obtained from Florida are captive-reared for up to two years, used in
research, and then released into the Gulf of Mexico. They are also a sea
turtle rehabilitation center and sea turtle hospital. This is the only
facility of its kind in the United States.
You will get face-to-face with hundreds of live sea turtles with no
glass or fence between you and the turtles. Aside from the living
exhibits, they also have numerous exhibits on sea turtle eggs, sea
turtle tags and tagging techniques, shrimp nets with turtle excluder
devices, and shells. Don't forget to bring your camera!
Map: http://galveston.ssp.nmfs.gov/seaturtles/tours/map700.jpg
GCTTS Program at the Houston Arboretum
A GCTTS members meeting will be held at the Houston Arboretum and Nature
Center on Sunday, October 14, 2007 from 2pm to 4 pm. The meeting format
will be an informal turtle and tortoise exhibit followed by a program on
hibernation and overwintering of turtles and tortoises. If you would
like to bring your animals to display, please let us know by calling the
hotline 281-443-3383 (ignore the “emergency only” statement) or dropping
us a line at info@gctts.org (preferred).
The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center is located at 4501 Woodway, just
inside Loop 610, telephone 713-681-8433. Educational material will be
available at this program. If you have never made it to one of our
programs, please consider attending this one as a first. We welcome your
participation and look forward to meeting you. We would like to have a
good selection of native and exotic turtles and tortoises at the
program. GCTTS programs are always free and open to the public.
Outreach Program Requests
It doesn't take long to find out how little the general public knows of
the issues and husbandry of chelonians. Too many still believe turtles
live on lettuce and follow the care advice from their pet store. Why not
share some of what you have learned with those in need of this
information?
GCTTS has an outreach guide with a sample talk available to assist those
interested in speaking at a library, nature center, school or scout
program. If you can help, call the hot line and leave your mailing
address or e-mail us (preferred). You may disregard the emergency only
hotline announcement.
GCTTS will be participating in the Science day for Bales Intermediate
School Science Day in Friendswood Thursday, March 8, 2007. Bob Smither
will be the speaker. If you would like to assist or exhibit your
turtles, let us know.
The Liberty Municipal Library has requested a speaker for their
children's summer reading program. GCTTS does not have a volunteer for
this event, so let us know if you are interested in presenting this
program. The Library is located at 1710 Sam Houston Ave., Liberty,
Texas.
A Reptile Open House is being held at Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature
Center Saturday and Sunday, August 4 and 5. GCTTS is looking for a
speaker to present a talk at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Park is located in
North Houston, 20634 Kenswick Drive, Humble, TX.
2007 Earth Days and Fairs
GCTTS participates in many Earth Days and nature fairs each year, and we
are in desperate need of volunteers to help man our tables. With booth
events like these, there are usually several members at the booth at all
times. We have a turtle exhibit, and we talk with those stopping by our
table and hand out educational material. These fairs are very heavily
attended. Some people volunteer for the entire day, some for half a day,
and some for a few hours. Even if you can only help for an hour, your
help will allow others to get a much needed break. If you exhibit
turtles, we would need the turtles at our table for the entire day.
Please let us know by calling the hot line or sending an e-mail to
info@gctts.org (preferred) if you can help man our booth or exhibit your
turtles. You may disregard the emergency only hotline announcement.
These earth days have always been relaxed and fun events. A great way to
spend the day outdoors and learn or share information about turtles.
GCTTS will be participating in the following fairs and we are still in
need of volunteers:
Nature Fest at Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center; Saturday, March 3,
2007, 9 am - 4 p.m., Far North Houston, 20634 Kenswick Drive, Humble, TX
The Woodlands Earth Day; Saturday, April 14, 2007 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. ,The
Woodlands High School, 6101 Research Forest Dr, The Woodlands, TX
Brazos Bend State Park Earth Day; Saturday, April 14, 2006 9:00 a.m. -
5:00 p.m., 45 miles southwest of downtown Houston, 21901 F.M. 762,
Needville, TX
Bellaire Nature Discovery Center Earth Day; Saturday, April 14, 2006
Time: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m, 7112 Newcastle, Bellaire, TX
Armand Bayou Nature Center Earth Day; Saturday, Apr 21, 10:00am-4:00pm
8500 Bay Area Blvd, Pasadena, TX
United Space Alliance Earth Day; April date and time to be added when
available, 1150 Gemini, Space Center Houston
GCTTS cannot confirm the following fairs until we receive volunteers for
them:
Sea Center Texas Nature Day Celebration; Saturday, March 3, 2007,
10:00am-4:00pm, 40 miles south of Houston off Hwy 288 at 300 Medical
Drive, Lake Jackson, Texas. One of our members in Deer Park will be
attending if someone can offer them transportation to and from this
event.
Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge Festival; Saturday &
Sunday, April 14 & 15, 2007, 60 miles west of Houston near Eagle Lake
North Harris College Earth Fair; Thursday, April 26, Time to be added
when available, usually about 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 2700 W.W. Thorne Drive
The Annual Scout Fair; Saturday, April 28, 2007, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m., Reliant Arena
ETHS Meeting and Programs at the Houston Zoo
The East Texas Herpetological Society programs are held each odd
numbered month at The Houston Zoo in the Brown Education Center.
For meeting information, see: http://www.eths.org
Sea Turtle Saturday in Galveston
HEART (Help Endangered Animals-Ridley Turtles) and Texas A&M University
at Galveston will again sponsor Sea Turtle Saturday in Galveston on
March 3, 2007.
Beginning at 9 a.m. the public is invited to hear presentations about
sea turtle conservation and research focusing on the Kemp's ridley sea
turtle. There is no charge for the program.
For more information, see: http://www.ridleyturtles.org
Adoptable Turtles & Tortoises!
Information about those animals available for adoption can be seen
anytime at:
http://www.gctts.org/database-ro/adoption/
The table will be updated when post-hibernation evaluations are
completed. If available, photos of the animals up for adoption are there
as well. Turtles available are updated weekly so check back from time to
time, as turtles adopt out very quickly after being listed. If you are
interested in an uncommon species, submit your adoption application for
approval well in advance as those are usually adopted very quickly to
those already on the waiting list. Often turtles are adopted to those on
the waiting list and are never listed on the adoption page. GCTTS is
very busy at the time turtles are coming out of hibernation, so if you
are interested in adopting one of our hibernating turtles, please submit
your application now for pre-aproval and adoption in the spring.
Currently we have female ornates, Malaysian, gulf coast, hatchling
eastern box, russians, peninsular cooter, three-toes, mud and common
water turtle hatchlings. We expect some of these to adopt out very
quickly.
GCTTS has the adoption application forms available on our website or via
email. Those of you that have adopted from us before simply need to
update us on the size of the pen you intend for the adoptee, population,
species and sexes of the turtles that will share its housing.
Articles Anyone?
GCTTS welcomes articles from our Members for our news posts. If you have
any information about our favorite animals, please send it
toinfo@gctts.org, or mail it to 1227 Whitestone Ln, Houston, TX 77073.
Thanks!
Can You Help the GCTTS Turtle Shuttle?
GCTTS operates over the entire greater Houston area and as such relies
on people to help shuttle and serve as drop-off and pick-up points for
turtles & tortoises. Our rehab people are often overloaded making
arrangements to get incoming turtles and sending out turtles that have
been adopted to their adoptive homes.
If you are able to help with transport, please indicate the areas of
Houston you can help shuttle to and from.
If you are able to provide temporary housing of incoming andoutgoing
GCTTS turtles & tortoises until they are picked up by a shuttle
volunteer, please let us know.
TheGCTTS protocol for shuttle volunteers is on our website:
http://gctts.org/WS/WS.php/Public/DropOffProtocol
Currently we have people shuttling that are located in Pearland,
Friendswood, Deer Park, and Kingwood. Our destinations for these turtles
would be 1960 @ I45 and Deer Park.
Can you Help with Copies?
We are sending out our Newsletter by e-mail as much as possible, but we
still need copies for those that do not have e-mail or prefer hard
copies. Copies of husbandry handouts and care related information are an
ongoing need as well. If you can donate double sided copies of the
Newsletter or single sided copies of handouts, please let us know!
Where have all the turtles gone?
Read the latest discussion on the decline in the number of turtles in
and along rivers, bayous, ponds, lakes and other waterways in Texas,
particularly East Texas, in the Houston Chronicle blog:
http://blogs.chron.com/shannontompkins/2007/02/where_have_all_the_turtles_gon.html
Featured Turtle for January, 2007 - Pretty Boy
Our featured turtle of the month for January 2006 is Pretty Boy, a
Pseudemys rubriventris. He was found wandering around a local Nature
Center in the Houston area. These turtles are not native to Texas so
Pretty Boy was obviously a released pet. The GCTTS tries to educate the
public about not releasing non-native turtles. Release of exotic and
non-native species can sometimes negatively impact the environment or
the native species. Species that are not native to an area may carry
organisms that the native species are not immune to and it can work the
other way around also. The released non-native may not have immunities
to the organisms outside his normal range. This can cause illness and
death. Release of pet turtles whether native or not should not be done
by the public. Unwanted exotics and non-natives should be turned over to
a rescue organization like the Gulf Coast Turtle & Tortoise Society for
adoption to knowledgeable caring members. The Gulf Coast Turtle &
Tortoise Society has a release program for native water turtles where
they are examined and evaluated for a time. The turtle is housed outside
in an inground pond to allow its immune system to strengthen. After one
year which includes a successful hibernation, the turtle is considered
for release into a safe, appropriate body of water.
So... Pretty Boy will be adopted by one of our members with a backyard
inground pond. If he does well, he may be considered for release if we
can arrange for his transport to his native range. If you are interested
in adopting Pretty boy, please see our Adoption Guidelines.
Your donations and memberships help to feed and care for displaced
turtles and tortoises like Pretty Boy that still need homes and also for
injured wild turtles. We accept PayPal to make giving or joining easy.
What's in YOUR Turtle Tank?
By GCTTS Member, Anita Peddicord
For those of you who have aquatic turtles that must be wintered over
indoors, you may be interested in some opinions I've developed on
submersible heaters for aquariums. Since I do rehab, I usually end up
with several ill or injured turtles in the fall that must not be allowed
to hibernate. Years ago I started off using the popular fully
submersible all glass heaters. These are fine for very small turtles but
larger, active turtles can break them. Have you ever reached in a tank
full of water to attend to something only to quickly withdraw because
the heater was cracked and you didn't know it and you got zapped?! Not
very fun. Yes, the manufacturers tell us to unplug the heater before
putting your hand in the water, but really, how many of us do that?
I've had glass heaters break even when they were protected in the tank.
Very frustrating. (I'm also very careful not to remove the heater when
still hot.) A couple of years ago I decided to try some inexpensive all
stainless steel heaters (ViaAqua) which had an external non-submergible
temperature regulator. It took a bit of extra rigging to hang the
temperature regulator on the wall outside the tank. I really liked them
because setting the temperature dial was very convenient but the scale
was very difficult to read even in bright light. Anyway, no more
worrying about cracking. One I'm using for the second winter. One lasted
only one winter. It died when I set it up to use this fall. It just died
and wouldn't come back on. Heaters ought to last more than one year, in
my opinion!
Ok, now I'm short TWO heaters because my last glass one cracked (for no
reason) around that same time. I like to keep an extra as a backup.
(sigh) What do I try now? I decided on the Visi-Therm Stealth. Since I
needed it for a 65 gallon tank, I would need a 250 watt one. After doing
a bit of price comparing, I purchased a new one on eBay. In no time at
all my new sleek black heater arrived. It has an all plastic housing
covering aluminum and ceramic internal parts. The temperature dial on
the end is easy to read AND set but not so easy that an active or nosy
turtle could turn it. (Ever had one of those blasted heaters with the
temp dial that needs muscle to turn it?) It even has an auto shut off
just in case you forget to unplug it before you do a water change and
expose it to air. That's a handy reassurance.
The heater is pretty, unobtrusive and made with a shatterproof plastic.
Would it heat and maintain 55 gallons of water in a room kept about 70
degrees during the day and lower at night? This new heater is keeping
the water a cozy 79 degrees with no problems. How come the plastic
doesn't melt? I don't know but it works great and I don't have to worry
about cracking glass!
If you are in the market for a submersible heater, I recommend the
Stealth. If you don't know what size to buy, most sellers will tell you
the tank size a certain wattage is good for, or you can refer to the
GCTTS webpage on heaters:
http://www.gctts.org/WS/WS.php/Public/SelectingAquariumHeaters
I've noticed many manufacturers are getting smart and putting a
protective cap on the vulnerable end of their all glass heaters. I
haven't tried one of these yet but they are probably worth trying in
some situations.
One last bit of advice, ALWAYS have a thermometer in your tank. Don't
rely on the heater setting to be what you want. If you don't have a
thermometer, you may not realize your heater is malfunctioning.
Keep your indoor turtles warm and healthy with a good, safe water
heater. Happy turtling!
Terrapene ornata luteola - The Stripes are All Wrong!
By GCTTS Member, Beverly Logan
One of the most usual and interesting box turtles I am fostering is the
Terrapene ornata luteola.
About nine years ago when my cousin heard I help turtles he mentioned he
sees rather large turtles on his ranch located near Van Horn, Texas. Of
course this drew my attention because Richard's and his neighbor Roy's
ranches are west of Fort Davis in the Chihuahua desert. Both ranches are
also near where the desert tortoise's land is bulldozed by the military.
Fort Davis is west of the Alpine Chihuahua Desert study Center.
Roy is the still fit rough-it rancher who checks on everything by
horseback, or has no choice but to saddle up because trucks get stuck
easily in the off road sandy areas of his ranch. Cousin Richard's horse
power is his truck that sometimes needs large rocks in the bed for
weight to keep from getting stuck on a sometimes too muddy ranch.
With much curiosity over the years I asked if the big turtle he was
seeing could by chance be the desert tortoise, walking on some of the
many miles of rocky, dry ranch area? I showed Richard a photo of a
desert tortoise and then sent it to Roy.
The desert tortoise has not been seen by Roy (still ranching by
horseback) on these two ranches to this day. Instead Roy was seeing the
desert box turtle known as luteola. Roy wanted to give them to me when
he learns about my interest in turtle keeping. His interest is waning.
So here we go, what do I do with a non-native desert type turtle to my
area, humid Houston? A whole different outdoor enclosure is in order
with rocks built up off the ground for quick drainage because Houston
often floods.
Roy sent the "best looking" ones he has. At first I was amazed as these
box turtles are indeed big, but big in a different way than the high
domed terrapene triunguis (three toed box), and they are quite a bit
larger than the smallish terrapene ornata (ornate box), their close
cousins. These luteolas are flat and long with a straight line carapace
measurement of 6 to 7 inches.
I was naturally concerned with what they find to eat in the wild.
Earthworms offered to these desert animals were just stared at. Habitat
research told me they inhabit prairies in treeless plains with gentle
rolling grassy country and low brush. I requested photos of cousin
Richard's ranch and they showed this to be highly diversified land. I
also read that turtles from a terrain in the Trans Pecos area thrive on
beetles attracted by cow patties. With Richard's patience I asked for
cow patties along with some rocks, sand, and cactus when I was returning
from a trip to Van Horn hoping to help this species adjust to our area.
"The best looking" one Roy wanted me to have was the most unusual one.
Comments from a GCTTS member was that "the stripes are all wrong." I did
some research and found that the 11 to 14 radiating lines are generally
yellowish in color. Older luteolas loose their stripes and become paler
in color. My reference book never mentions something I observed with the
nose on these animals: The piggy snout nose is a definite field mark for
me along with the larger shell compared to Terrepene ornata.
So far I have been able to foster Roy's turtles with no illness from
them being taken away from their native dry climate. Roy has since
married and has two children. Richard recently sold his ranch to a land
conservation cattleman.
I plan to return these luteola specimens back to their native climate
when I have the need to retire from turtle foster care. Yes "the stripes
are all wrong" for the terrain of Houston, where it is difficult to find
the light sand and light shaded desert areas that the ornata luteola is
well camouflaged in.
I have pointed out to Richard and Roy that any turtles taken out of
their vast ranching area only cause the populations to decline.
ALLIGATOR POINT SEA TURTLE PATROL
Copyright and Courtesy of Coastal Living magazine
Submitted by GCTTS member, Julie Young
These sea turtle sentinels have a passion for the gentle creatures who
amble ashore. Vicki Barnett ushered hundreds of loggerhead hatchlings to
the sea and ignited a movement to save turtles in Alligator Point,
Florida. She started the turtle-monitoring program there, and when she
had to move away, she passed the torch to Bill Wargo and a crew of
volunteers.
Vicki's motivation: "Anyone who has ever seen a 350-pound sea turtle
crawl ashore at night to dig her nest and deposit her eggs and the,
exhausted, struggle to return to the sea, knows the magnificence and
determination of the species to survive. It is an incredible
experience."
Her legacy: "I really miss working with the turtles, but I know they're
in good hands. As luck would have it, Bill retired from [his job with]
the Florida Department of Education and now has the time to devote to
the protection of our sea turtles."
Bill's approach: "I've been an educator all my life. When people forget
to turn off the outside lights or leave chairs or debris on the beach, I
have a friendly talk with them. I'm trying to create a sense of
ownership in the turtle program."
His best job: "I've watched turtles for years, but never enjoyed
anything like this. I have a dedicated group of volunteers who compete
with each other to find the most nests. Were excited every time we see
one."
His mission: "Saving our precious turtles is all about people. The
turtles are a major indicator of the health of our beaches. What we do
to harm turtles is also harming us."
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End of Feb, 2007 News
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Dear Members and Friends of the Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society,
Please note two corrections to our most recent News Post:
1. The GCTTS Picnic will be held Saturday, October 14. All other details
in the News Post are correct.
2. The article titled: "Can You Help Transport this Tortoise to
Louisiana?" should say Gulfport, Mississippi, not Louisiana. If you can
help transport this tortoise to Gulfport, please let us know. The persons
adopting her will meet you near I-10 and US49 in Mississippi.
Thanks!
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Dear Members and Friends of the Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society,
Please note two corrections to our most recent News Post:
1. The GCTTS Picnic will be held Saturday, October 14. All other
details in the News Post are correct.
2. The article titled: "Can You Help Transport this Tortoise to
Louisiana?" should say Gulfport, Mississippi, not Louisiana. If you can
help transport this tortoise to Gulfport, please let us know. The
persons adopting her will meet you near I-10 and US49 in Mississippi.
Thanks!
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Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society
News Post for September, 2006
East Texas Herpetological Society's Breeder Expo!
The 16th Annual East Texas Herpetological Society's Breeder Expo and
Educational Exhibit will be held Sunday, September 10th at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel, located at 12801 Northwest Freeway (Hwy 290) in Houston.
GCTTS will have an educational booth at this heavily attended event, and are
in need of volunteers. If you can help man our booth or exhibit animals, let
us know by September 6th. A good working knowledge of turtles and tortoises
will be needed for this event. We are also looking for set-up help at 9 AM.
Admission is free for our volunteers.
Breeder shows like this one are the best places to obtain captive born
reptiles. The Expo will be open to the public from 11 AM until 5 PM and
admission at the door will be: Adults $5, Children Under 12 $2.
More information on the conference, expo and sale: http://www.eths.org
------------------------
GCTTS Annual Picnic!
The GCTTS annual outdoor picnic will be on Saturday, October 13, 1:00 PM, at
the Smither's home in Friendswood. Bring your friends and your turtles and
tortoises for a relaxing afternoon in the company of other turtle
enthusiasts. GCTTS will have some of our adoption animals at the picnic but
you MUST be pre-approved before adopting any of the turtles and tortoises!
We will have hamburgers and hot dogs so please let us know by Oct 5th how
many will be attending and/or if you plan to bring-a-dish, ice or drinks.
Check out Bob's gargantuan natural pond! Members only but you can join
($15.00) when you get there!
The Smithers are at 2600 Ware Dairy Road, Friendswood, Texas, 77546,
281-443-3383. If you come from FM528 (West Parkwood Ave.), Ware Dairy Road
(no street sign) is the third right that you can make off of Moore Ranch
Road. If you come from Highway 35, Ware Dairy Road is the first left after
Mandale Street. After turning on Ware Dairy Road, the Smither's home is 0.2
miles straight ahead. The house has a metal roof.
http://tinyurl.com/jzms4
------------------------
GCTTS Outreach Program!
Bob Smither will be giving a program on turtles and tortoises to St.
Michael's Episcopal Church in LaMarque from 11:30AM to 2PM on September 27,
2006. Anyone wishing to help or exhibit their turtles, let us know.
http://stmichaels-lamarque.org/
------------------------
Bob Smither!
GCTTS President and one of our Society founders, Bob Smither, is the
Libertarian candidate for the US Congress in District 22! We need Bob's
views on animal welfare and conservation in Congress - be sure to vote
SMITHER in November! See www.Smither4Congress.us
------------------------
Can You Help Transport this Tortoise to Louisiana?
GCTTS has a sulcata with very special needs that has been adopted to a
veterinarian and his partner in Louisiana that have a wonderful home for
special needs turtles and tortoises. But we need help getting her
transported to them. If anyone is going I10 East, they will meet you at the
freeway and Hwy 49 exit near Gulfport. Please help us get this tortoise to
the people that can provide her with the ongoing medical care she will need!
------------------------
Adoptable Turtles & Tortoises!
Information about those animals available for adoption to our members can be
seen anytime at:
http://www.gctts.org/database-ro/adoption/
Turtles available are updated weekly so check back from time to time, as
turtles adopt out very quickly after being listed. Currently we have female
ornates, Malaysian, gulf coast, hatchling eastern box, russians, peninsular
cooter, three-toes, mud and common water turtle hatchlings. I expect some of
these to adopt out very quickly. The sulcata, rhinoclemmys and male ornates
have been adopted.
If you are interested in an uncommon species, submit your adoption
application for approval well in advance as those are usually adopted very
quickly to those already on the waiting list. Often turtles are adopted to
those on the waiting list and are never listed on the adoption page.
GCTTS has the turtle and tortoise adoption applications available on our
website or via email. If you submit your application and photos by email we
can process it quickly. Those of you that have adopted from us before
simply need to update us on the size of the pen you intend for the adoptee,
population, species and sexes of the turtles that it will be housed with.
------------------------
Foster Help Needed!
Adult GCTTS members that are experienced turtle keepers and want to provide
much needed help to turtles and tortoises can volunteer to help with our
rehabilitation program. We always need help in housing rehabs after they
have been stabilized. These animals need a period of TLC, good conditions,
and monitoring. Note that these turtles will need to be kept indoors this
winter and isolated from any others you might have. Arrangements would need
to be made to pick them up in far North Houston.
------------------------
Articles Anyone?
GCTTS welcomes articles from our Members for our news posts. If you have
any information about our favorite animals, please send it to
info@gctts.org. Thanks!
------------------------
Can You Help the GCTTS Turtle Shuttle?
GCTTS operates over the entire greater Houston area and as such relies on
people to help shuttle and serve as drop-off and pick-up houses for turtles
& tortoises. Our rehab people are quite overloaded making arrangements to
get incoming turtles and sending out turtles that have been adopted to
their adoptive homes.
If you are able to help with transport, please indicate the areas of
Houston you can help shuttle to and from.
If you are able to provide temporary housing of incoming and outgoing
GCTTS turtles & tortoises until they are picked up by a shuttle volunteer,
please let us know.
GCTTS protocol for shuttle volunteers is on our website:
http://gctts.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SOP/DropOffProtocol
Currently we have people shuttling that are located in Pearland,
Friendswood, Deer Park, and Kingwood. Our destinations for these turtles
would be 1960 @ I45 and Deer Park.
------------------------
Send Us Your Pen Photos!
We are requesting members submit photos of their turtle and tortoise pens to
have them displayed on a new GCTTS web page. Pens should have a lip around
the top, wire or wood buried under the perimeter and areas (holes or wire
gaps) designed for water drainage to prevent flooding. Hopefully members are
not using small water bowls in their pens. Photos showing those will not be
used. By submitting your photos you are giving GCTTS your permission to use
them as we see fit. GCTTS reserves the right to edit photos and reject any
that are unsuitable. Please make sure your photos are clear and in focus.
You may submit them via email in .jpg, .tif or .gif formats. Send to
info@gctts.org. Thanks for your help!
Check out this link to see what we are working on:
http://www.gctts.org/WS/WS.php/Public/OutdoorEnclosures
------------------------
Can you Help with Copies?
We are sending out our Newsletter by e-mail as much as possible, but we
still need copies for those that do not have e-mail or prefer hard copies.
Copies of husbandry handouts and care related information are an ongoing
need as well. If you can donate double sided copies of the Newsletter or
single sided copies of handouts, please let us know!
------------------------
Featured Turtle for August, 2006 - Samantha
By GCTTS licensed rehabilitator, Anita Peddicord
Our featured turtle of the month for August 2006 is Samantha a large 8 inch
Red-eared Slider that was kept as a pet for four years since she was small.
She was kept inside in a 30 gallon tank half full of water with no UBV
lighting. She's moderately pyramided. For the last year she was forced to
live with a young male. This allowed her no place to retreat from the sexual
advances of the male. Besides being in such a small tank she had to have
been stressed by his harassment. Since she had no land access she
occasionally laid an egg in the water which is stressful and not natural for
water turtles. Samantha was known to have had a respiratory infection and
after she was given up to a GCTTS rehabber, they allowed her outside with
land access during the day. She was brought in at night because nights are
too cool this time of year for turtles recovering from respiratory
infections to be out. After a couple weeks Samantha did lay eggs in her pen.
If she would have still been in a tank, she could have become egg bound and
became very ill and even died from infection.
Samantha's original owner took her to a vet because of the lump that
developed on the top of her neck. He said it was due to irritation of the
area by a sharp place on her carapace which he smoothed off. She may have to
see a vet again to have the lump checked.
Samantha really enjoys being in the Sun. Her health is still in a delicate
time but she is on her way to a better life. Sometimes respiratory
infections recur and have to be retreated. She will probably be in rehab for
one to two more years and then be released into the wild after she is
declared healthy.
Update- 6 July 2006 Samantha is outside day and night, is eating well and
loves being in a large in ground pond with land for egg laying. She does not
act completely normal yet. She swims with her eyes closed even though she
doesn't appear to have any infections. The lump on her neck is decreasing in
size. We have decided this lump may have been caused by repeated biting by
the male she was housed with while she was a pet in a small tank.
Update- 10 July 2006 It is now believed that Samantha is partially blind so
will not be releaseable. Since she is able to find food in a smaller pond,
one of GCTTS long time members is fostering her. He has a secure,
wonderfully landscaped back yard with several small turtle ponds. Samantha
should be able to live a happy life at her new home.
Your donations and memberships help to feed and care for turtles and
tortoises like Samantha. We accept PayPal to make giving or joining easy.
------------------------
Problems Associated with Overfeeding Reptiles
by David Doherty, D.V.M.
The Herpetoculturists of the 1990's have been guilty of overfeeding their
reptile pets. In some cases, this may be due to ignorance of their pet's
nutritional demands. Often, however, overfeeding may be intentional with
the specific purpose of obtaining rapid growth. Regardless of why a reptile
is overfed, the net result of this practice can cause serious health
problems.
Overfeeding will result in excess intake of calories. In young reptiles,
abnormally rapid growth rates can result. In adult animals, obesity can
result. Both of these situations can lead to serious health problems which
with a more appropriate feeding schedule could be avoided.
One specific health problem seen in overfed reptiles is hepatic lipidosis.
this condition is sometimes also referred to as fatty liver. Obese reptiles
store fat in their coelomic (abdominal) cavity, under their skin and, in
severe cases, i n their internal organs. The liver is the primary organ
affected by this. Fatty infiltration of the liver results when the reptile
consumes calories at a faster rate than the body can burn them and the
traditional storage sites can accommodate them. Over a period of time,
healthy liver cells are infiltrated with fat to a point where the liver
cannot function properly. These snakes often become lethargic and
anorectic, and may eventually die. When examined after death (a necropsy),
the liver will be grossly inflated with fat which is highly suggestive of
hepatic lipidosis as the underlying cause of death. This condition is much
more common than many people realize and probably explains many mysterious
snake deaths in captive raised, overfed, otherwise healthy animals. If a
snake seems to be a good candidate for his condition and is still feeding, a
gradual tapering off of food would be more appropriate than a starvation
diet. Ideally, younger and leaner food items would be given in smaller
amounts and less frequently. If this condition is suspected in a snake that
has stopped eating, force-feeding will probably be necessary and the
prognosis will be guarded.
Another fairly common problem associated with overfeeding is seen in some
turtles and tortoises. Shell deformities such as pyramiding can be the
result of overfeeding, especially when inappropriate diets are involved. An
example of this is seen when tortoises are overfed diets too high in protein
such as dog or cat food.
Many herpetoculturists also noted a vague correlation between overfeeding
and dystocia (egg-binding) in snakes. Once again, in an effort to achieve
maximum growth rates, many future breeder animals are fed very heavily as
youngsters. This results in young snakes achieving adult size prematurely.
Often these overfed snakes are obese and have poor muscle tone. Obesity is
one of a few factors that have been associated with egg retention in snakes
and other reptiles and this is another good reason not to overfeed our
reptile pets.
In humans and other animals, overeating and obesity has been implicated in
many disease conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and even cancer.
While there is not much definitive evidence linking these conditions to
overfeeding reptiles, common sense would suggest that there could be reason
for concern here, too. Keep in mind that captive animals, including
reptiles, are generally less active and therefore more prone to obesity than
their wild counterparts. If you are not sure if your pet is overweight or
being overfed, it is best to ask someone with more experience in keeping
that type of pet. Have your pet examined by a veterinarian, or check any
number of readily available references.
Dr. Doherty is one of the leading reptile vets in the greater Houston area.
You can reach him at the Grogans Mill Pet Clinic in the Woodlands
281-367-5726. While much of this article has references to snakes, the
information in it equally applies to turtles & tortoises.
------------------------
Sulcata Breeding - Just Don't Do it!
By Marlaina Barr
Tortoise enthusiasts should consider not allowing the breeding of sulcatas
at all. GCTTS never adopts out a breeding pair or contribute to a situation
that would result in more sulcata babies. Very few people can house them at
adulthood and I am sure at some not too distant point there already are
going to be more big sulcatas than people will adopt. The breeders only
really started selling sulcatas 4-5 years ago, so the glut of large unwanted
adults is just now beginning.
Many rescue organizations now have to euthanize large unwanted iguanas as
there are just not enough homes for them. There very well could be the same
situation with sulcatas in the not too distant future.
------------------------
Reusing Nests
by GCTTS Member Julie Young
I keep mud, musk, box turtles, and a red-eared slider or two. My turtle pen
is of adequate size for my herd. But the areas available for various turtle
"activities" are somewhat limited. For instance, since it's located under a
tree that keeps growing and growing, and since the pond takes up quite a bit
of space, there are just small patchy spots of land here and there where
sunlight hits and remains for any length of time.
Perhaps that's why these spots seem to be favored for laying eggs. Or
maybe it's because those spots have the best dirt for digging in. Or maybe
turtles just like to do what they saw the other guy - I mean GAL ; ) -
do.
At any rate, I have discovered that my turtles seem to place their nests in
the same exact spot that other turtles have already used. One spot is in
the narrow strip of soil between the pond and the landscape-timber wall. I
have seen as many as three separate sets of eggs laid in this same exact
spot.
Earlier this year, I observed a mud turtle digging a hole near a hidey-box
on the other side of the pond. I made a note to dig the eggs up and rebury
then in the secure baby pen (which is covered and safe from raccoons and
opossums, who have eaten far too many of my eggs!). But when I approached,
spade in hand, there was another water turtle, with her behind in the same
hole, laying her own eggs!
I don't know if she chose this area because someone else had already done
the hard work of digging up that solid soil, or if she senses it will get
the right amount of warming sun, or if it just smells right to her. At any
rate, she took her time laying her eggs and I hung around like an anxious
mother goose, not wanting to stress or rush her, but not wanting the 'coons
to beat me to the eggs. Eventually she finished, and I dug up 14 eggs
(managed to poke the spade into one of them - YAAAK!). Not sure if all
those eggs are from one or both mothers - I saw the mud turtle digging the
hole, but didn't actually witness her laying eggs.
I placed those eggs in a hole in my baby pen, alongside two previously
discovered clutches of about six eggs each. These previous clutches were
both taken from two other nest areas in the pen, and I'm assuming they are
from box turtles.
I guess in a couple of months, we'll know for sure! I'm just hoping that
the place I've chosen, safe in the baby pen, is as good an incubation spot
as the places the mothers had originally picked to locate their nests.
------------------------
Exploitation of Turtles for the Pet Trade
by James H. Harding
I have written this article in response to a letter in the issue of the
Tortuga Gazette. In the letter, Scott Solar assures a previous
correspondent that commercially collected Gulf Coast Box turtles which had
puncture-like injuries were the likely victims of botfly infestation, and
were not collected by "hooking". I do not dispute this contention.
However, Mr Solar goes on to say that "any collecting method injures an
animal and thereby compromises its survivability would not be acceptable to
the collector, the end user at the pet store, or anybody in between." I
believe that anyone familiar with the trade in wild-caught turtles would
have a serious problem with this statement. Most collectors probably would
not purposefully injure the turtles, but the simple act of removing them
from their habitats and transporting them is inevitably stressful and
inherently harmful. Some collectors and wholesalers may actually care about
the welfare of the animals, but this is far from universal, and the
expediency to make a profit appears frequently to override the best of
intentions.
I have personally witnessed numerous commercial shipments of turtles,
observed holding pens, and visited pet wholesalers and retail dealers. In
addition, I have spoken to many people involved in, or with direct
knowledge, of the reptile trade.
Turtles collected from the wild are typically piled into boxes, burlap bags,
or wooden crates, and transported in car trunks or vans to holding areas.
There they may be held in crowded pens or livestock tanks, often without
access to clean water. Shipment to wholesalers and retailers often involve
another trip packed into boxes and crates. As many CTTC members already
know, when the turtles finally arrive at the pet shop they may again be
crowded into small tanks, fed a minimal diet, and basically kept under
inadequate conditions.
When a normally solitary, sun-loving creature is suddenly removed from the
habitat it has perhaps occupied for decades, is crammed into a box with
other turtles, exposed to extremes of heat or cold, and kept under generally
unsanitary conditions for days or weeks, it is obviously under extreme
stress. Disease is often the result. A former reptile dealer told me that
he believed the mortality rate for wild-caught box turtles was, at times, as
high as 50% between their collection and arrival at the retailer, and was
rarely less than 20%. Of those that arrived alive, many were dehydrated and
suffering from pneumonia, eye infections, and nutritional deficiencies.
Few people buying turtles in pet shops are aware that the animals are
already stressed, diseased and probably doomed. In my position as a
herpetologist at a university museum, I am often consulted by people who
have recently bought pet turtles and discovered that the creatures were
already sick when purchased. They are rarely informed of proper husbandry
methods by dealers. By the time I see them, the turtles are often beyond
hope, or are salvageable only by aggressive (and expensive) veterinary
intervention. I have heard estimates that perhaps as few as one hundred
wild-caught box turtles that enters the pet trade is alive after two years.
Nothing I have seen would cause me to think that this figure is an
exaggeration. Is this any way to treat an animal that could live fifty,
eighty, or even a hundred years if left in its habitat? (And if you believe
that collectors only take turtles from threatened habitats, or the middle of
highways, I can probably make you a great deal on a bridge in Brooklyn!)
But this is far more than an animal welfare issue. The use of wildlife
resources, whether for sport, meat, furs, of pets, has been based on the
assumption that the harvest must be sustainable. That is, that humans are
acting as natural predators, taking only from a population surplus, and that
the wildlife in question will remain stable over time. is this assumption
valid when we consider the mass collection of turtles? A growing body of
data from long-term scientific field studies clearly shows that it is not.
Compared to almost all other species of hunted wildlife, turtles are
slow-maturing animals with very high egg and hatchling mortality balanced in
nature by the longevity of the small percentage of animals reaching
adulthood. Studies show that box turtles must have comparatively high
animal survivorship to compensate for the normally low annual recruitment of
new breeding animals into the population. In good habitat box turtles can
build up high populations over time, but any factor that suddenly increases
the loss of mature individuals will cause the population to decline. It is
thus unlikely that box turtles anywhere have harvestable population
surpluses.
Along with box turtles, certain other species are very vulnerable to mass
exploitation and have been severely damaged by pet trade collection. Most
true tortoises share these population characteristics, as do Blanding's
turtles and turtles in the genus Clemmys. I am involved in a long term
study of the wood turtle (C. insculpta) uin Michigan, and am in contact with
fellow Clemmys researchers in the U.S. and Canada. Many of us know of
existing habitats that have been nearly or totally emptied of wood, spotted,
or bog turtles by collectors. I can assure readers from personal experience
that horror tales of marked long-term study populations being collected out
almost overnight are true. The fact that these turtles were usually
protected by state laws did not seem to discourage the poachers.
The mass exploitation of wild turtle populations is demonstrably
non-sustainable. It is true that habitat loss is a major threat to all
wildlife, including turtles. But the growing phenomenon of depleted and
empty habitats shows that simple exploitation is still a major threat.
There are now reports that turtle species formerly thought to be fairly
safe, such as sliders and cooters, are being trapped and shipped overseas in
large numbers for use as human food. Do we really want our native turtle
populations steadily moved from the wild and into the pet shops and food
markets of the world?
There are many things that turtle hobbyists and amateur herpetologists can
do to preserve wild populations. Refuse to buy wild-caught specimens;
insist on captive-bred stock. Several species can be easily bred in
captivity. Remember, that if you buy a turtle to "save" it from death in a
pet shop, you are only encouraging the dealers to buy additional stock.
Write letters to encourage all states to ban the commercial exploitation of
native wildlife. Join local and national conservation groups to preserve
natural habitats. people who really care about turtles must be willing to
work, and perhaps sacrifice their own desires, to assure a future for these
animals in the wild.
Dr. Harding is a Museum Specialist at the Michigan State University Museum.
He is will known for his extensive and fascinating field studies of box and
wood turtles in the wild.
Editors note:
Please be aware that many, if not most, captive born turtles are produced
from wild caught breeding stock.
--------
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Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society News Post for May, 2006
A Turtle and Tortoise Care Workshop
Presented by the Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society
May 21, 2006 2-4 p.m.
Houston Arboretum and Nature Center
4501 Woodway Dr. 77024 (713-681-8433)
www.houstonarboretum.org
The Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society (GCTTS) invites our members
and the public to attend our next meeting which will be held at the
Houston Arboretum as part of their Urban Nature Series:
http://www.houstonarboretum.org/adultprograms.asp
This open meeting will be a chance to visit, ask questions, display your
turtles and tortoises, and spend the afternoon with turtle enthusiasts.
If you would like to assist with one of the booths or exhibit turtles,
let us know by May 15.
GCTTS members will host a workshop with booths covering the following
topics:
habitats and care of box turtles
habitats and care of water turtles and semi-aquatics
habitats and care of tortoises
landscaping for turtles and edible plants
rehabilitation and disease
conservation
GCTTS has a range of printed information including diet, habitat
construction, compatible plants lists, and general care, all of which
will be available. During the meeting we will have drawings for turtle
habitat plants.
We look forward to seeing as many members (and their turtles and
tortoises!) as possible at this upcoming event!
--------------
Outreach Requests
It doesn't take long to find out how little the general public knows of
the issues and husbandry of chelonians. Too many still believe turtles
live on lettuce and follow the care advice from their pet store. Why not
share some of what you have learned from GCTTS with those in need of
this information?
GCTTS has an outreach guide available to assist those interested in
speaking at a library, nature center, school or scout program. For those
looking for something less structured, GCTTS participates in many fairs
where help at our booth is needed. Even a beginner can help at the booth
events as at least one experienced volunteer is at each function of this
sort. Perhaps you would like to help just by exhibiting some of your
turtles and tortoises. Please let us know!
For our outreach guide with a sample talk to get you started call the
hotline and leave your mailing address or e-mail address.
The Houston SPCA has asked GCTTS for a speaker for March 16, June 8, and
July 13 at 11:00 am for children 8-12 years old. The SPCA is located at
900 Portway Dr, just north of Memorial Park. Wendy Mahoney presented the
March 16 program and reported a very nice group were in attendance.
Julie Young, will speak at the June 8 event but we are still in need of
a speakers for the July program. Anyone wishing to speak, assist or
exhibit turtles, let us know.
GCTTS member, Bob Smither, will be giving a program Wednesday, May 10,
2006, from 10:30am-11:00am to the Rainard School. The school has just
built an outdoor habitat for a box turtle so the focus of the talk will
be on that species, along with an interesting display of turtles and
tortoises.
The Kingwood United Methodist Church has requested a speaker for one of
the first three Wednesday's in June from 9:30-11:00 a.m. They are
interested in having a children's talk on general information and care
of turtles, with a live turtle. If you are interested in doing this
program, please let us know by May 20.
GCTTS member, Wendy Mahoney, will be giving a children's program on
turtles to the Crosby Library June 15, 10:30. 135 Hare Rd, Crosby, TX
Wendy Mahoney, will also be giving a program on turtles for children
ages 6 and up at the Pearland Public Library. June 26, 2PM, 3522 Liberty
Drive Pearland, TX
The Barbara Bush Library has requested a speaker for July 27th, 2006.
Audience estimate is 80 children, primarily 6 to 10 years old. GCTTS
does not have a volunteer for this event, so let us know if you are
interested in presenting this program. The Library is located at 6817
Cypresswood Drive, Spring, TX
Bob Smither or Wendy Mahoney will be giving a GCTTS program on turtles
and tortoises at Jessie H. Jones Park and Nature Center, August 5 at
10:00 am. The Park is located in North Houston at 20634 Kenswick Drive,
Humble. If you would like to assist or exhibit turtles, let us know.
--------------
New GCTTS Web Page: Featured Rescue Turtle of the Month
In case you haven't noticed, we've recently added a new web page to the
GCTTS website. It's called, "Featured Rescue Turtle of the Month."
Sometimes we receive turtles with interesting histories that do not need
rehabilitating or we have received ill or injured turtles in the past
that have not been pictured on the website. We hope you will check out
this new web page often at
http://www.gctts.org/WS/WS.php/Public/SeeOurFeaturedTurtleOfTheMonth
to read about these turtles and tortoises. Here is the story on our
March turtle of the month. See the web page for a picture of her and
others:
Our featured turtle of the month for March 2006 is a large, wild, adult
female Red-eared Slider named Cookie. She's named that because she is
one tough Cookie. Cookie was found near a drainage ditch, last month
(February 2006), by someone living in the area. Because she had obvious
serious damage to her shell, this person wasn't sure whether she needed
attention so they got her to one of the GCTTS rehabbers for evaluation.
At one time Cookie's injuries had been serious. She was probably hit by
a car in the Summer of 2005 but made her way back to the water where she
eventually started healing without intervention by humans. Cookie's
strong immune system allowed her to heal on her own. We can never know
how many other turtle's in Cookie's situation do not survive their
injuries on their own. When in doubt, it's always best to get an injured
turtle you find to a rehabilitator and let them decide what is best.
Cookie has nice healthy solid tissue that is turning to bone so she
needs no treatment. She will be released very soon into a better, safer
habitat where she can finish living out her life in the wild. Your
donations and memberships help to feed and care for turtles like Cookie.
[Cookie has since been released back into the wild.]
--------------
Adoptable Turtles & Tortoises!
Information about those animals available for adoption to our members
can be seen anytime at:
http://www.gctts.org/database-ro/adoption/
Turtles will be available for adoption by May 15, following their final
post-hibernation checkups, and be added to the web site at that time,
along with their photos. Afterward the database will be updated weekly
so check back from time to time, and remember if you are interested in
an uncommon species, submit your adoption application for approval well
in advance as those are usually adopted very quickly to those already on
the waiting list.
GCTTS has the turtle and tortoise adoption applications available on our
website or via email. Those of you waiting for responses to your
adoption or fostering applications will be hearing back from us by May
15.
--------------
Outreach Director Position Available!
If you would like to organize the outreach programs for GCTTS, contact
Julie Young at info@gctts.org or leave a message for her on our hotline
281-443-3383. This would involve responding to organizations that are
requesting our participation, letting the directors know an event has
been requested, and getting back with the organization to confirm (and
then handle the details) or decline.
--------------
Help the GCTTS Newsletter
We need a Newsletter Editor! Is there a budding editor out there with
good writing skills and time enough to help? The Newsletter Editor
should be somewhat computer savvy, and will be responsible for
assembling the Newsletter from articles sent in by our members and
directors. If anyone is interested in performing this very important job
for our Society, please let us know.
If you have any articles of interest for the next newsletter, send them
to info@gctts.org. Remember, this is OUR newsletter - everyone has the
opportunity to contribute!
--------------
Upcoming ETHS Program at the Houston Zoo
The next ETHS program will be The Frustrations of Keeping and Breeding
Freshwater Turtles by Russ Gurley,7:45 PM, Friday, May 19, 2006, The
Brown Education Building of The Houston Zoo.
Russ's talk is entitled The Frustrations of Keeping and Breeding
Freshwater Turtles. It is a presentation that will focus on his work
with a variety of turtles from South America. Some species from South
America have very inflexible needs to thrive in captivity, others
require conditions unlike many other species ot turtles, and others
adapt well to captivity and even reproduce well, but eggs fail to
develop and hatch. A variety of species will be covered with a colorful
powerpoint presentation and theories and ideas related to South American
turtle keeping will be discussed.
Did you know that...
...often, when a female turtle lays eggs in the Spring, those eggs can
go straight into the incubator and if the same female lays eggs in the
Fall, those eggs will need to be cooled before incubation or they will
fail to hatch?
...some turtle eggs, if incubated on vermiculite or perlite, will go
full-term and the baby will be unable to hatch out of the egg? Add a
handful of damp peat moss to the mix and the baby will hatch out easily
after the incubation period.
...some tortoise eggs need to be warmed at 80 F for a month, then cooled
to 65 F for two months, and then warmed to 84 F for several more months
to hatch?
Russ Gurley was a founding member of the American Federation of
Herpetoculturists and worked as its Art Director in the early days. He
is now a full-time author and director of the Turtle and Tortoise
Preservation Group, a group of turtle and tortoise breeders dedicated to
producing the world's rarest species. The TTPG hosts TURTLE NIGHT at the
National Reptile Breeders Expo each summer. Russ travels extensively
photographing turtles and enclosures and digs deep into captive breeding
programs around the world to gain new ideas and methods for the best way
to keep and breed turtles. Russ's personal turtle breeding programs have
an emphasis on species from South America, Africa, and Madagascar but
the TTPG breeders cover all the bases . . . some keepers specializing in
North American species, others in Asian and Southeast Asian species, and
more. Russ is the author of a dozen books including Keeping and Breeding
Freshwater Turtles, Baby Turtles, Turtles in Captivity, SULCATAS and
Other Popular Tortoise species, and The African Spurred Tortoise in
Captivity.
The East Texas Herpetological Society programs are held each odd
numbered month at The Houston Zoo in the Brown Education Center. For
meeting information, see:
http://www.eths.org/html/meetings.htm
--------------
Diamondback Terrapin Article in the Chronicle
GCTTS Member Bill Montgomery (by e-mail)
In case you missed Shannon Tompkins’ diamondback terrapin story in the
Chronicle:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/outdoors/tompkins/3678959.html
--------------
1980's TV Show Magnum P.I. and Sea Turtles?
Sounds like an unlikely combination doesn't it? But they are related. If
you remember the popular 1980's show Magnum P.I. starring Tom Selleck,
then you remember it was filmed in Hawaii. Mr. Selleck's character,
Thomas Magnum, lived on an estate called Robin's Nest. A Mrs. Eve
Anderson actually owns the estate and before the show was filmed there,
the estate was nicknamed "Pahonu" which means "sea turtle" in Hawaiian.
The tidal pool along the beach front property was used for raising sea
turtles. You must also remember the famous iron gate at the entrance to
the estate that Magnum drove Robin Masters red Ferrari through many
times. The original gate was replaced during the filming of the show but
supposedly it has since been reinstalled. This original gate has a sea
turtle icon on it. To see this clever sea turtle gate, please click on
this link:
http://www.pbase.com/goislands/image/10751686
--------------
Plans for Conservation of Amazon River Turtles in Bolivia
"Collaborating with Local Bolivian Communities to Develop a National
Park Management Plan Designed to Halt the Decline of the Amazon River
Turtles"
by Alison Lipman
Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia
Submitted by Anita Peddicord
Turtle populations are declining worldwide because they are especially
vulnerable to overexploitation as a source of food and alteration of
their habitat (largely stemming from deforestation, agriculture, timber
extraction, and rural and urban development). In addition, energy
development through hydroelectric dams is modifying the natural river
flow patterns and altering the flood stage causing some prime nesting
sites to become flooded. Ms. Lipman plans to study the population of the
Yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle and the Giant South American river
turtle, both threatened species, in the Noel Kempff Mercado National
Park in Bolivia. She will initiate, research and develop a balanced
approach to managing the future of these turtles by assessing the
abundance, reproductive fitness, migration, and habitat health of the
turtle population. Her management plan for the national park will help
them succeed with their conservation goals, while incorporating a
sustainable species harvest for the neighboring communities who depend
on the turtles for food and oil. This collaborative effort will link the
protection of nearby natural areas with improving the quality of local
community life.
--------------
Who Hides Where?
By GCTTS Member Julie Young
I always find it interesting when I come out to my turtle pen, to see
which critter has chosen which spot to dig in to.
There are some turtles that I KNOW I can find in a specific spot.
Surprisingly, my most aggressive male (an ornate box) doesn't seem to
mind sharing his place with others - as long as he gets to be in there.
His choice is a cave I built out of 2x4 lumber. It's about 8x15 with one
open side, and the turtles have dug a dip in one corner. He's ALWAYS in
that cave. There are other turtles who are OCCASIONALLY in there, also I
can count on a mud turtle. The only thing that differs is that whoever
gets there first, gets to be down in the dip.
I have a tunnel I built out of the same 2x4 lumber. It's one board high,
and maybe eight inches wide, and is open on both ends. Perfectly good
home, but, generally, NO turtles ever go in there. Weird.
I have a large hollow log, and the majority of my three-toed box
turtles, as well as an occasional mud turtle, like to hide underneath
it. Occasionally, during the morning or daytime, they will get inside
it. Apparently, for night time cover, they feel more secure being below
it. A few other box turtles hide in holes they've dug along the fence
line.
I have a hollow tree stump in the far corner of the pen. This is usually
occupied by a female ornate. Although I think of it as "her" territory,
it's not uncommon to find another turtle there at times, usually a
colorful male three-toed. In that case, the female ornate will be with
the three-toeds under vegetation along the fence.
In the baby pen (completely covered by hardware cloth wire screen),
there are two chunks of broken clay sewer pipe. These make nice shelters
shaped something like an airplane hanger. MOST of the babies get under
the smaller, lower pipe. NO ONE EVER gets under the somewhat larger one,
which sits a mere 1/2 inch away. The remaining babies hang around a log
that's in the pen, on the side that's very near the fence. Unless
they're eating or sunning, it's unusual to find any of the babies out in
the open areas of the pen. It will be interesting to track this as they
grow larger. One is now nearly ready to join the adults. It will be
interesting to see if, as she grows, she eventually feels safe enough to
be out and about and more visible.
--------------
End May newspost
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Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society News Post for February - March,
2006
GCTTS Program at the Houston Arboretum
The next GCTTS meeting will be held at the Houston Arboretum and Nature
Center on Sunday, May 21, 2006. The program will be part of the Houston
Arboretum's Urban Nature Series and is open to the public. The meeting
format will be an informal workshop and include a turtle and tortoise
exhibit. We will have members available to answer questions from the
public and our members about the proper care of turtles and tortoises.
If you would like to bring your animals to display, please let us know
by April 15th by calling the hotline (281-443-3383) or dropping us a
line at info@gctts.org. We also need volunteers to answer the questions.
If you are an experienced keeper, please let us know if you are
interested in volunteering as an expert in a particular area of turtle
or tortoise care.
There will be a short business meeting after the program that GCTTS
welcomes anyone to attend. One of the topics will be upcoming GCTTS
programs and we'd love to have your input. Bring your ideas for making
GCTTS an even better organization!
The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center is located at 4501 Woodway, just
inside Loop 610, telephone 713-681-8433. GCTTS programs are always free
and open to the public. Educational material will be available at this
program.
If you have never made it to one of our programs, please consider
attending this one as a first. We welcome your participation and look
forward to meeting you. We would like to have a good selection of native
and exotic turtles and tortoises at the program.
--------------------------------
Outreach Requests
It doesn't take long to find out how little the general public knows of
the issues and husbandry of chelonians. Too many still believe turtles
live on lettuce and follow the care advice from their pet store. Why not
share some of what you have learned from GCTTS with those in need of
this information?
GCTTS has an outreach guide available to assist those interested in
speaking at a library, nature center, school or scout program. For those
looking for something less structured, GCTTS participates in many fairs
where help at our booth is needed. Even a beginner can help at the booth
events as at least one experienced volunteer is at each function of this
sort. Perhaps you would like to help just by exhibiting some of your
turtles and tortoises. Please let us know!
For our outreach guide with a sample talk to get you started call the
hotline and leave your mailing address or e-mail address.
The Houston SPCA has asked GCTTS for a speaker for March 16, June 8, and
July 13 at 11:00 am for children 8-12 years old. The SPCA is located at
900 Portway Dr, just north of Memorial Park. GCTTS member, Julie Young,
will speak at the June 8 event and member, Wendy Mahoney, will speak at
the March 16 event. Anyone wishing to assist or exhibit turtles, let us
know. We are still in need of a speakers for the July program.
GCTTS member, Wendy Mahoney, will be giving a children's program on
turtles to the Crosby Library June 15, 10:30. 135 Hare Rd, Crosby, TX
Wendy Mahoney, will also be giving a program on turtles for children
ages 6 and up at the Pearland Public Library. June 26, 2PM, 3522 Liberty
Drive Pearland, TX
The Barbara Bush Library has requested a speaker for July 27th, 2006.
Audience estimate is 80 children, primarily 6 to 10 years old. GCTTS
does not have a volunteer for this event, so let us know if you are
interested in presenting this program. The Library is located at 6817
Cypresswood Drive, Spring, TX
--------------------------------
Man Jailed for Refusing to Tag his Daughter's Turtles
by Bob Smither
In Ohio, you better tag your turtles. Apparently they belong to the
state and the state wants them tagged.
Terry Wilkins has spent three days in jail for refusing to put RFID tags
in his 10 year old daughter's pet turtles. His daughter Keiko had some
native Ohio turtles as pets, pets she had since she was a toddler.
When Terry refused to subject her daughter's pets to being tagged with
RFID responder tags as mandated by a year 2000 state wildlife
preservation law, he was arrested and sentenced to 90 days in jail by
Fairfield County Municipal Court Judge Patrick Harris. All but three of
the days were suspended, but Terry did spend three days in jail and his
daughter had to give up her pets.
--------------------------------
Articles Anyone?
GCTTS welcomes articles from our Members for our news posts. If you have
any information about our favorite animals, please send it to
info@gctts.org. Thanks!
--------------------------------
GCTTS Event Calendar
Take a look at the GCTTS Event Calendar, accessible from our home page
and located at http://www.gctts.org/WebCalendar/month.php. Our calendar
has information about upcoming events involving GCTTS. Click on an event
to see the details.
--------------------------------
Want Your Turtle to be Famous?
Charles Densmore has a hobby of doing extreme closeup photography of
really small insects. He is working with the Houston Museum of Natural
Science to prepare large, educational photographs of the chrysalis stage
of the butterfiles in the Cockrell Butterfly Center.
His hobby has attracted the attention of the Huntsville Botanical Garden
in Alabama (http://www.hsvbg.org/) and they have asked Charles to
prepare large photographs of turtles and their eggs. These photographs
will be used in the educational exhibits at the Botanical Garden.
Charles is looking to photograph eggs, young, and adults of several
species. As you can imagine, captive turtles are much easier to
photograph than wild ones! The Botanical Garden is most interested in
Softshell and Map turtles. He is also interested in amphibians if you
have a pond he could visit. Charles has offered to share any pictures
that he takes of our member's animals. We could use them on our web
site, for example.
You can contact Charles at CDENSMORE@houston.rr.com. Let him know what
you might have availble for him to photograph. Who knows, your turtle
just might end up in an exhibit in Alabama!
--------------------------------
2006 Earth Days and Fairs
With booth type events like these, there are always several members at
the booth at all times. We have a turtle exhibit, and we talk with those
stopping by our table and hand out educational material. These fairs are
very heavily attended. Some people volunteer for the entire day, some
for half a day, and some for a few hours. Even if you can only help for
an hour, your help will allow others to get a much needed break. If you
exhibit turtles, we would need the turtles at our table for the entire
day. Please let us know by calling the hotline or sending an e-mail to
info@gctts.org if you plan to help man our booth or exhibit your
turtles. These earth days have always been relaxed and fun events. A
great way to spend the day outdoors and learn or share information about
turtles.
GCTTS is in the early stages of planning and lining up volunteers for
the following Earth Fairs:
Brazos Bend Bend State Park Earth Day Saturday, April 1, 9:00am-5:00pm
Brazos Bend State Park is located 45 miles southwest of downtown Houston
21901 F.M. 762 Needville, TX
Tentative - US Fish & Wildlife Attwater Prairie Chicken National
Wildlife Refuge Festival Saturday & Sunday, April 8 & 9 This two day
event will not be confirmed until we receive volunteers for it. Times
will be added as they become available. The Attwater Prairie Chicken
Refuge is located South of I-10 in Eagle Lake, TX. From I-10 at Sealy,
take Exit #720 and go South one mile on Hwy 36, then right on FM 3013
for 10 miles.
The Woodlands Earth Day Saturday, April 8, 9:00am-2:00pm Volunteers:
Judy Meschwitz, Beverly Logan, Marlaina Barr
United Space Alliance Friday, April 21 Johnson Space Center Times will
be added when received, but it is normally a 4 hour event.
Annual Scout Fair Saturday, April 22 Times will be added when received,
but it is normally an all day event. Reliant Arena Volunteer: Wendy
Mahoney
Armand Bayou Nature Center Saturday, April 22 10:00am-4:00pm 8500 Bay
Area Blvd, Pasadena, TX Volunteer: Anita Peddicord
--------------------------------
ETHS Meeting and Programs at the Houston Zoo
The East Texas Herpetological Society programs are held each odd
numbered month at The Houston Zoo in the Brown Education Center. For
meeting information, see: http://www.eths.org/html/meetings.htm
--------------------------------
Sulcata Homes Needed
The number of sulcatas GCTTS has taken in and adopted has really
escalated in the last couple of years, and we have handled a lot of
them. We knew there would be a big need for homes when we saw the glut
of baby sulcatas starting to be sold at the herp sales. Few people
buying them were really aware of what would be involved keeping them
when they got larger. Now those sold 3-4 years ago are not suitable for
them and we have been accepting them in larger numbers every year. The
point has come where anyone that qualified for adoption and was
interested in adopting one has adopted one from us.
GCTTS has never refused to take an unwanted turtle but we knew 4 years
ago no society would be able to take in the number that would be
upcoming. We are surprised that the herp societies allow them to be sold
at their herp sales, fully knowing, like the iguana problem years
before, that many of these animals will die or be unwanted.
If you are in a situation where you could foster one (or more) sulcata
tortoises until adoptive homes are found, or if you are interested in
adopting one of these fascinating tortoises, please let us know!
--------------------------------
Can You Help the GCTTS Turtle Shuttle or our Fostering Program?
GCTTS operates over the entire greater Houston area and as such relies
on people to help shuttle and serve as drop-off and pick-up houses for
turtles & tortoises. Our rehab volunteers are in need of help making
arrangements to get incoming turtles and sending out turtles that have
been adopted to their adoptive homes.
If you are able to provide temporary housing of incoming and outgoing
GCTTS turtles or tortoises until they are picked up by a shuttle
volunteer, or are able to help with transport, please let us know. You
may email us or call the hotline for an application.
We are also looking for someone to manage the "turtle shuttle". This
would involve maintaining contact information on the drop-off, pick-up,
and shuttle volunteers, and making all turtle shuttling arrangements.
--------------------------------
Copies of Care Sheets Needed
Copies of husbandry handouts and care related information are an ongoing
need for the many outreach programs in which GCTTS participates. If you
can donate copies, please let Judy Meschwitz at info@gctts.org know the
approximate number of copies you can make and whether you can do them
one-sided or two-sided. Judy will let you know how to get the care
sheets and which ones we need copies of.
--------------------------------
Join the GCTTS Sulcata Discussion List
For those of you that have not subscribed, simply send an email to
Sulcata-R@gctts.org with a subject line of:
Subject: subscribe
We do have people signed up and posting. If this list gets more active,
it can be very successful.
After you sign up to be on the list, any e-mail message sent to Sulcata-
L@gctts.org will go out to everyone that has signed up to be on the
list.
These type of email lists tend to be informal and provide interaction
for those with similar interests. After you sign up, or for those of you
previously signed up, send an email to the list introducing yourself and
your sulcata(s)!
We are planning other lists - possibly one for box turtles, other
tortoise species, and water turtles. Please let us know what lists you
all would like to see GCTTS set-up.
--------------------------------
Turtle Coffee (yuk!)
Iowa Woman Finds Dead Turtle in Coffee
The Houston Chronicle
Saturday, 12 Nov 2005
Information from: Iowa City Press-Citizen
Submitted to GCTTS by William Montgomery
AINSWORTH, Iowa (AP) - Marjorie Morris just wanted to pour coffee into a
canister. What she found in the package of freeze-dried coffee left her
shell-shocked.
Morris, 77, of Ainsworth, found a dead baby turtle in the 2-pound
package of Folgers coffee last Sunday.
"I thought it was a toy at first," said Morris, 77, of Ainsworth.
Morris said she had been making coffee from the same package for a month
before she made the discovery.
"It's a responsibility of the company to check their shipments closer,"
she said. "It could be much more serious."
Morris said she doesn't plan to file a lawsuit against Folgers.
She said a customer service representative for the company dismissed the
find, explaining that because many Folgers plants are based in New
Orleans the turtle might have ended up in the coffee as a result of
Hurricane Katrina.
Sussane Dussing, a spokeswoman for Procter & Gamble, the company that
owns the Folgers brand, said it's too early to say how the turtle ended
up in the coffee.
Dussing said she wasn't aware of other similar incidents and that
Morris' discovery would be investigated.
Morris, who has kept the turtle, said she would continue to drink
coffee, but that she is now a more mindful consumer.
Things could have been worse, she said.
"It could've been a snake."
--------------------------------
Have All of Your Turtles Come Out of Hibernation in Good Health?
By GCTTS member, Julie A. Young
Here in the Gulf Coast region, the Winter of 2005/06 could be called the
nicest Spring we ever had. We did have a few (very few) spates of
weather cold enough that plant and pet owners scrambled outdoors to put
sheets and boards to use protecting tender living things. But those cold
snaps were brief and far between. And that's part of the problem.
Most of the winter has been unseasonably warm. That means that turtles
left outdoors to hibernate in a natural setting (as native species
should be - unless they have a history of illness) have had their
natural dormant period disturbed. It wasn't unusual during the winter of
2005/06 to see reptiles out sunning themselves even during the months of
December and January - months that they are normally in a state of deep
sleep. The ground temperatures have been intermittently warm, then cool,
then cold, then downright hot. Water turtles experienced drastic
variations in temperature, too, as bodies of water warmed and then
cooled, then warmed again. This is particularly noticeable in small
areas, such as backyard ponds and man-made turtle habitats.
This continual warming and cooling prevents animals from going into the
deep dormant period that's needed for healthy hibernation. The warm
periods also lure turtles out to walk or swim about, sun themselves, and
perhaps seek something to eat. All this is not so good for turtles
trying to get in a few months' sleep.
How do you know if your turtles have come out of hibernation healthy and
ready for the new season? Here are some signs of illness to look for:
-Has the animal drug itself to a spot where it can be warmed by the sun,
but then doesn't retire to its hidy-hole when the temperature cools
down?
-Is the turtle interested in food? Sometimes, newly awakened turtles
need some enticing to get back into the habit of eating. But any turtle
that doesn't show interest in live, wiggly food (worms, goldfish) is
probably in trouble.
-Is the turtle's breathing labored?
-Does the turtle pump his head and legs in and out of the body cavity?
This can indicate lungs that are full of fluids, and unable to expand
and contract without the aid of the pumping action of the front legs.
-Does the turtle have a runny nose?
-Does the turtle appear to be gasping for air?
-Is the turtle holding its mouth open, as if trying to breath through
its mouth?
-Are the turtle's eyes swollen, or "stuck" closed?
-Is a water turtle swimming with vigor, or merely bobbing around
listlessly?
-Is a water turtle swimming lopsidedly? This could indicate that one
lung is filled with heavy fluids.
Problems can be other than respiratory illness, so also check for:
-Does the shell show signs of fungus or "pocking"? Are there spots on
the skin? This could result from spending many months hibernating in a
damp location.
You are responsible for your turtles' health. If your animals exhibit
any of these symptoms, you must get them skilled veterinary care
immediately. They won't "shake it off" or "grow out of it". If they are
not helped. they may die. Contact a veterinarian who is experienced with
"exotics" - specifically turtles.
--------------------------------
Harriet the Tortoise
MSNBC News Services
Nov. 15, 2005
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10049984/
Tortoise turns 175, but she's not slowing down
Possibly oldest living animal on Earth, Harriet still gets out, wallows
in the mud
CANBERRA, Australia - Harriet the tortoise, quite possibly the oldest
living animal on Earth, celebrated her 175th birthday on Tuesday -- with
a pink hibiscus flower cake at her retirement home in northern
Australia.
Australia Zoo, where Harriet has spent the past 17 years, claims the
Giant Galapagos Land Tortoise was collected by British scientist Charles
Darwin in 1835.
But while DNA evidence shows Harriet hatched on one of the Galapagos
islands, her DNA also shows she came from an island that Darwin never
visited.
There is no doubt, however, over the age of Harriet -- who for more than
a century was thought to be a male and named Harry -- and she is
recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living
chelonian, or reptile with a shell of bony plates.
"She would definitely be the oldest living animal on Earth ... I can't
see why she shouldn't live till 200," Australian conservationist and
television celebrity Steve Irwin, who owns Australia Zoo, told Guinness
World Records.
As for how Harriet is doing in her senior years, zookeeper Richard
Jackson says she's just fine, thank you.
"If you didn't know her age, you wouldn't know even know she's 175",
Jackson said. "She gets out in the morning. She gets out in the
sun...She'll come over for her food every day. When she wants to, she'll
wallow in the mud. She gets around fine. She's showing no real signs of
slowing down."
For a cool video of Harriett's birthday, see:
http://edition.cnn.com/EARTH/9711/14/australia.tortoise/
--------------------------------
Tropical Tortoise Humidity and Texas Winters
By GCTTS Member, Beverly Logan
If more of those "cold fronts" are to come my tropical tortoise species
I keep are looking for a ride to "South America or Bust." In their
quarters the low humidity levels are taking the toll on their waiting
for real spring warmth outside.
The associated tropical tortoise keepers I know seem to have all the
same dilemmas in wintertime keeping. The one big problem I have is
incorrect humidity levels resulting from too much dry indoor heating for
warmth. Only 20% humidity is all we even get indoors, from one other
opinion. That most daily "relative high humidity" should seep in the
cracks from one end to the other of this old house, apparently does
nothing for the tropical tortoises' sake.
Feeling confident with heating and humidity provided for my tortoises, I
hear other keepers of tropical tortoise's developing illnesses with dry
heating only. Low humidity levels are what I understand critical to what
the tropical tortoise faces in any controlled environment. So this
alerts that my indoor husbandry should be watched more closely.
The many problems of tropical tortoise keeping species are even few and
far, with the still to come chilly and even freezing days or nights.
Sometimes the wind chill keeps my somewhat halfway decent outdoor
tortoise house enclosure system at a risk. I watch the wired
inside/outdoors tortoise's thermometer drop a degree or two in their
satisfactory heated domain. Having to add an additional blanket must
make it even dryer inside.
This time of year I can see on all three of the tortoises appearances
that a big dish of water is not the only humidity solution. In my
observation they just drink out of the shallow dish when thirsty, and
sit in it when need to be hydrated, fast. Soaking tropical tortoises
helps several times a week and a must if mine don't soak in their water
provided. Misting them is only a temporary solution for about five
minutes, as my tortoises still look dry when the mist dries up.
Higher humidity levels is definitely an addition strongly needed in a
controlled tortoise keeping environment and will aid in my tortoises
future years. A humidifier, and barometer reading is in order for my
tropical tortoises.... that have to wait and wait, in their inside and
outside "slammers," living in Texas "cold fronts," that blast from
October to even April.
--------------------------------
Nation Wide Diamondback Terrapin Survey
Dr. Russell Burke
Department of Biology, Hofstra University
Submitted by GCTTS Member, Rhonda Smith
To save Diamondback Terrapins we need to know where they now are, were
and should be.
You can help us, if you have ever seen terrapins in the wild or have
experience in salt marshes of the eastern United States and Gulf of
Mexico. If you have ever read about local sightings, and can tell us
where you read it.
Also, whether or not you fill out the survey, please spread news about
it far and wide to any one else that might be able to fill it out.
The survey can be found at http://www.people.hofstra.edu/terrapin.
Please take a few minutes of your time to fill out the on-line survey
about the current and past status and range of the diamondback terrapin
(Malaclemys terrapin).
Some Background On Terrapins
The diamondback terrapin inhabits brackish and salt marshes and bays
throughout its range. In most of their range, terrapins are unlikely to
be confused with any other turtle because they are the turtle that lives
in the salt marshes. Historically the diamondback terrapin has been
reported as far north as Cape Cod, MA and as far south as Corpus
Christi, TX. They are most commonly seen basking or crossing roads to
nest.
Field observations are necessary in order to determine the diamondback
terrapins' past and current distribution. Along with distribution we
would like to know the status of diamondback terrapins throughout their
range, whether the populations are stable, increasing or decreasing.
Your help is requested for providing information on diamondback
terrapins that you may or may not have seen. The survey is being done
by:
Dr. Russell Burke
Department of Biology
114 Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY 11549
voice: (516) 463-5521
fax: 516-463-5112
http://www.people.hofstra.edu/faculty/russell_l_burke/
Please send any questions or comments to Dr. Burke at
Russell.L.Burke@Hofstra.edu
Thanks!
===============================================================================
End of February, 2006 News Post
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GCTTS Members and Friends Picnic October 23rd!
The GCTTS annual outdoor picnic will be on Sunday, October 23rd, 1:00 PM, at
the Smither's home in Friendswood. Bring your friends and your turtles and
tortoises for a relaxing afternoon in the company of other turtle
enthusiasts. GCTTS will have their adoption animals at the picnic and our
rehabbers will be offering minimal pre-hibernation checks for anyone
bringing their turtles. BBQ hamburgers and hotdogs so please let us know by
Thurs the 20th how many will be attending and/or if you plan to
bring-a-dish, ice or drinks. Check out Bob's gargantuan natural pond!
Members only but you can join ($15.00) when you get there!
The Smithers are at 2600 Ware Dairy Road, Friendswood, Texas, 77546,
281-443-3383.
If you come from FM 528 (West Parkwood Ave.), Ware Dairy Road (no street
sign) is the third right that you can make off of Moore Ranch Road. If you
come from Highway 35, Ware Dairy Road is the first left after Mandale
Street. After turning on Ware Dairy Road, the Smither's home is 0.2 miles
straight ahead.
If you come from downtown, drive South on I45 past the 610 Loop. Exit Nasa 1
and turn right on Nasa 1. Drive about 7 miles to Moore Rd and turn right on
Moore Rd. Turn right on Ware Dairy Road.
Map to the Smither's:
http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?addr=Ware+Dairy&csz=Friendswood%2C+TX+77546&state=TX
Hope to see you there!
------------------------
Westover Park Turtle Rescue!
Imagine that you are trapped in water and no matter how hard you try you
simply cannot get out. This is the situation that a large red eared slider
turtle was in after she somehow found her way to the fountain at the
entrance to Westover Park in League City, Texas. Normally red eared sliders
spend a lot of time out of the water basking in the sun, an activity that
allows them to adjust their body temperature and to maintain the health of
their shells. Large mature females like this one need access to land to
avoid becoming egg-bound, a potentially fatal condition.
The fountain could have been designed to trap turtles. It has smooth
vertical walls and the water level is about 8 inches below the top of the
wall. The water in the fountain is about 2 feet deep, affording the turtle
with no way to gain a foothold and to scale the walls. The hapless reptile
has had no choice but to thread water for at least the past month. As air
breathers, like us, turtles can and do drown.
Concerned neighbors have fed her, but attempts to rescue her by net failed
as the turtle is very shy.
Members of the Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society (www.GCTTS.org;
281-443-3383) learned of this turtle's plight and determined that the only
way to rescue her was to trap her. A floating trap was quickly assembled and
baited with catfish parts and shrimp. After a little more than 24 hours in
the pond, the turtle was in the trap when it was checked around sunset on
Wednesday, August 24th.
http://www.gctts.org/files/t.dsc02565.jpg
The rescued turtle is in surprisingly good condition, a testament to
turtles' strength and will to survive. After she is fed heavily for a few
weeks, she will be released in a safe location where she will have access to
both water and land.
http://www.gctts.org/files/t.dsc02567.jpg
http://www.gctts.org/files/t.dsc02573.jpg
Update - Three more turtles were trapped from the Westover entrance
fountain. There were a total of three females and one male red eared
sliders. After making sure that they were all of good weight and that they
were eating, the four turtles were released into suitable habitat near
Houston on September 20, 2005.
The Westover Park resident who first brought this situation to our attention
has placed a secure ramp in a corner of the fountain. The ramp allows a
turtle to easily exit the pond. Any more turtles that find their way to this
fountain will have a means of escape thanks to this caring person.
------------------------
Children's Program Requests!
GCTTS has been asked to present a program to Boy Scouts at Schmalz
Elementary off I10 and Barkers Cypress in Katy, Tx. Their meetings begin at
7:00 pm on the last Monday of the month. There will be about 40 boys ranging
from 6-11 years old. Their families usually attend as well.
Katy ISD has offered an educational booth to GCTTS again this year at their
Super Saturday annual fair. Saturday Nov 12. This will be casual with people
stopping by our booth for educational material and questions or just to see
our exhibit turtles!
GCTTS has been asked to man a booth for Armand Bayou's annual Creepy
Crawlers nights. This Halloween based event will be both evenings, Oct. 21 &
22 from 6:00 to 8:30 PM, with lots of children and parents. We will have a
turtle exhibit, educational material available, and answer questions for
those stopping by our booth. If you can help either night, let us know. We
do have one volunteer already for each night but 2 would be ideal.
For an outreach guide with a sample talk to get you started call the hotline
and leave your mailing address or see:
http://gctts.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Public/PublicTalkGuide
Thanks!
------------------------
Box Turtles Available to a Good Home!
One of our GCTTS members in Clear Lake is offering some of their 3 toed box
turtles. Their husbandry is excellent and offspring are forcing them to part
with some of them. They have four baby three-toe box turtle babies (one from
this year--about the size of a quarter), two from a year ago (about three
times that size) and one which is about two years old and is ~ 3 inches
across. Available free of charge and will be using the GCTTS adoption
guidelines, but are not part of the GCTTS adoption program. Serious
inquiries only send your contact information to info@gctts.org or the
hotline 281-443-3383.
------------------------
Keep 'Em High And Dry
by Julie Young, GCTTS member
We all know that turtles like their hidey-holes. They like to disappear into
hollow logs, hide under fallen logs, burrow into a pile of leaves, or dig
down into the earth. What's also important to know is that turtles NEED
their hiding places.
In the wild, turtles are shy and reclusive by nature - and as a matter of
survival. When chelonians are forced to live out in the open, or are
continually barraged by intrusions and disturbances from dogs, children, or
even their owners, they can become stressed. And stress opens the first door
to illness. A turtle who is not at his optimum will have difficulty fighting
off infections of just about any type.
That's why turtles in captivity must be provided with someplace where they
can hide and feel secure. The type of hiding place is matter for another
article. Here, we want to talk about the physical condition of the hiding
place.
First, it is imperative that the spot you allow your turtles to dig into and
hide in is clean. Dirt (as in soil) is OK - in fact, it's preferable, as
it's natural, and contains organisms that help digest and fight bacteria and
diseases. But uneaten food, feces, rotting vegetation, and chemical
substances (fertilizers, insecticides) are not OK.
Another important factor is that the turtles' retreat must be dry. A
chelonian who spends a lot of time in a damp location is likely to fall
victim to fungal infections. These infections usually affect the shell,
creating off-color discolorations on the bottom of the shell (because it
comes into contact with the moist earth), flaking on both the upper and
lower shell, lesions on the skin, and even sores that eat into the shell or
flesh.
So, it's imperative that the hiding spots you provide are high and dry. Do
not allow sprinklers to douse the area, not even a little bit. If you have
plants that need watering, ... well, move them to another spot. When
watering is essential, do it in the morning, so that the moisture can
evaporate over the course of the day. Make sure the area is elevated, so
rainwater cannot accumulate. This may mean that you'll have to move your
turtles' hiding logs and homes, or even build a small berm or hill on which
to place their logs, so they can burrow under without becoming waterlogged.
It may mean a little work for you, and it may cause you to redesign the
layout of your turtle pen. But the issue of staying dry is important to your
turtles' health - so it should be important to you.
------------------------
The Saga Of Bad Boy!
By Marlaina Barr
We all know that turtles of every description are escape artists. We'd like
to share the story of a most exceptional escape artist - and one who seems
to have the nine lives of a cat!
Many of you may remember me speaking before of Bad Boy. He is a male Eastern
box turtle who had lived in my communal pen with a number of other box
turtles for several years. Bad Boy (who hadn't yet acquired that name) was
in our adoption program, and found a home with a woman who had appropriate
housing. In the enclosure, the woman also had three male three toed box
turtles she had adopted previously from us.
One week after the adoption, I got a hysterical call from the woman. Bad Boy
had attacked one of the other turtles, and had ripped the face of the
animal. Needless to say, I got Bad Boy back (along with her three toed to
rehabilitate - it's eyeball was hanging out, among other injuries).
So Bad Boy went back into my back yard. Exiled from the communal turtle pen,
he had free range of the yard. He was a very people-oriented turtle. He
learned to hang out under the BBQ pit by the back door and beg for snacks.
He feared nothing.
But Bad Boy needed a permanent home. One of our members I have known for
years and trusted as an experienced box turtle keeper, offered to take him.
At his home, Bad Boy would have his own private pen. He was again adopted
out. Two years passed and this member moved to New York but he did not call
and let us know he was looking for a home for Bad Boy as he should have.
At the annual East Texas Herpetological Society (ETHS) sale, a rehabber
happened to mention that the Texas Wildlife Rescue Commission (TWRC) had
taken in an especially aggressive box turtle. The animal was an Eastern box
turtle, a male, and it had attacked someone's turtle. Bells went off in my
head! Could this possibly be Bad Boy - the Bad Boy? I told her Bad Boy's
story, of his adoptions and "anger management" problems. If this was the
same animal, I wanted him back! When the turtle was handed over to me, sure
enough, it was Bad Boy. What a coincidence!!!
So Bad Boy went back to housekeeping under our BBQ pit and compost pile.
A good year had passed when Wendy Browne, a GCTTS director, offered to take
him. Besides his aggressiveness, Bad Boy developed mild respiratory illness
after his first two hibernations, so he needs special care throughout the
winter. Wendy is an experienced turtle keeper, knowledgeable about health
and husbandry, and she's trusted with difficult specimens. Again, Bad Boy
was adopted out.
Bad Boy lived, in an isolated pen, without incident for some time. A couple
of years later, Wendy's two Eastern box turtles - a female and our friend
Bad Boy - were stolen from her yard. The female soon mysteriously reappeared
in Wendy's yard... Our guess is that the two turtles were put together and
that Bad Boy attacked the female. The thieves probably realized they had
more than they had bargained for, so they gave up the female. But they kept
Bad Boy. This was in the spring of 2005.
Well, in September of 2005, Wendy was driving home, and about two miles from
her house, she saw a turtle on the side of the road. Not wanting the animal
to be hit and injured, she stopped, thinking she would move him to the side
of the road. But wait! One look and she knew! It was Bad Boy - fat, sassy,
healthy - and glad to be home!
------------------------
Trials Of South American Tortoises
By Beverly Logan, GCTTS member
Approaching the fall months of Houston weather usually means over wintering
tortoises inside. Those of us that have South American species of the
Redfoot or Yellowfoot tortoise certainly are probably not looking forward to
this time of year. I for one am not wanting those cold fronts coming and
body aches of lifting tortoises in and out after their being in a nice
summer garden fenced habitat. Tortoises also would rather Be in the good ole
outdoors I know, because mine may show dismay in some form or another when
brought indoors. Can I still lug in the 15 pound female yellowfoot, that is
probably gravid, and the 12 pound male redfoot? Haul them out of their
favorite summer garden retreats with heads always held high roaming and
grazing?
When I first researched these two species I knew they both had to live
inside for over wintering in Houston no matter what age. I especially noted
the female yellowfoots get LARGE (warning). The first decision made was to
have them winter inside in a small plastic dog house under the kitchen
table. This lasted for about five years. The first tortoise I had, the
yellowfoot, was just a mere 7 pounds. She had the freedom kitchen floor with
a strong basking light.
I bet new owners of juvenile tortoises are most likely thinking like I did
then. There is plenty of time for larger quarters in the long future away of
big messes. Back to the future again. I never thought the redfoot hatchling
would grow very fast or big. It was only 3 inches when a GCCTS member gave
me this Houston captive hatched tortoise. This one grew to the 8 inch size
within a mere four years.
The first over wintering years for my two tortoises was in a small plastic
green dog house in the kitchen. Simple cleaning efforts were soiled paper
removal in the mornings and afternoons. Times changed and the female
yellowfoot did double in size as warned. This yellowfoot's togetherness was
to sit right in front of the refrigerator door waiting before daylight,
blocking the door. The novelty, when the refrigerator door opened, was a big
push and shove scene. There is nothing more concrete than a rather large
willed pushing tortoise wanting to just climb in and peer up at the foods
inside. She apparently smelled where the dandelion greens were hidden.
Again, the same ole October blues were recurring with my questions for every
tortoise keeper I knew. "How do you house your tortoises during these wet
rainy winters, northers, and then some?" Oh, Heat, don't forget the warmth
they need? There was no perfect solution I found.
The work load was doubled. Vocalizations from family members was on the rise
with the air quality in the kitchen not so good. Another worry, the gravid
female yellowfoot always backed up to the table base doing a routine, I
could not understand. That rear-end lifting mystery act had me puzzled as
she was now a 12 year adult female. Then I finally saw the tortoise act just
described one spring outside. The female yellowfoots' raised back end was
digging an in ground cavity laying eggs fast in the garden.
Today, after the two years past inquisitions of over wintering tortoises I
am still cleaning a much bigger area, in fact the largest Dogloo house
available, but OUTSIDE. Now I clean with the garden hose daily. The two
tortoises are heated with a hanging heat emitter that works for me. A wired
in, indoor/outdoor thermometer is for temperature accuracy. I still lug them
in and out on warm ground days, which are few and far until the first day of
spring. I watch the weather reports twice daily to be sure the two don't get
too hot or cold in their outhouse.
Over wintering tortoises in Houston can sometimes be severe. Observations
when over wintering non-native tortoise species that have to come in from of
the garden can help longevity. Look for symptoms of dehydration, not eating,
and especially assimilation hole digging in adult females.
Helping a female gravid tortoise in the fall means dirt should be added in
quarters. A long time tortoise keeper friend had to put her female redfoot
outside briefly every night for a week in the October falls until her
tortoise deposited its eggs. Her tortoise successfully dug a small cavity
outside and laid her three eggs. The friend retrieves them that night for
inside incubation. One of her eggs hatched on Christmas Eve. This hatchling
tortoise is the South American adult redfoot mentioned above is still living
with me.
------------------------
Turtles Taking Over as the Kings of the Sea
By Jane Margolies
New York Times News Service, September 18, 2005
Submitted to GCTTS by William Montgomery
Forget swimming with dolphins. The next big thing might just be sea turtles.
These mysterious dinosaur-era creatures - which can live 80 years, swim
thousands of miles from the beaches where they were born, and yet, somehow,
manage to return to the same spots to lay their own eggs - are an increasing
object of fascination for many Americans. And the travel industry has taken
notice. Tour operators offer turtle-watching expeditions. Hotels brag on
their Web sites about the turtles that come onto their beaches, and they
promote discounts in nesting season, steer guests to nighttime walks and
hatchling releases, not to mention fill gift shops with turtle-emblazoned
towels and even serve turtle-shaped desserts.
Natural Habitat, a Boulder, Colo., tour operator that organizes expeditions
to see Olive Ridley turtles in southern Mexico, says interest has jumped 30
percent since it began offering the trips five years ago. Nighttime walks
along Florida's Atlantic coast, which are conducted by trained guides
authorized by the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, attracted
95,415 people over the last 11 years and are booked weeks in advance.
This year, people who wanted to sign up for a walk in the Sebastian Inlet
State Park in Melbourne Beach, Fla., in July were advised to mark their
calendars for June 15, when the park, a division of the state Department of
Environmental Protection, began taking reservations, and to start calling at
8 a.m. Some walks fill up on the first day.
Every little hotel on a nesting beach makes sure to mention turtles on its
Web site. "When we redid our Web site two or three years ago, we put that
on," said Monica White, owner of the Croton Arms Resort Apartments in
Pompano Beach, Fla. "We tell them what's available in our area."
More than $1.65 million of the $2 million needed has been raised to build
the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, on Jekyll Island, a research, rehabilitation
and educational facility to be built in a decommissioned 1903 power plant in
the historic district.
At some resorts, turtle tourism ranges from structured offerings (at the
Marriott Casa Magna in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a marine biologist monitors
the beach, moves eggs to an on-site nursery and organizes evening hatchling
releases) to more laid-back encounters (the owner of 3 Rivers, an
environmentally friendly lodge on the island of Dominica in the West Indies,
offers to wake up guests and rush them down to the beach in the middle of
the night if he gets word that a nesting female has appeared). Some are
geared to children (at the Four Seasons Nevis, youngsters learn to make
turtles out of paper plates and can take part in a turtle-drawing contest),
others to aspiring scientists (guests staying on Little St. Simon Island, a
private barrier island off the southeast coast of Georgia, can help excavate
nests after eggs have hatched and record data on birth rates).
For some nature lovers, a turtle sighting - whether the result of a
carefully choreographed program or a chance encounter on a beach - can be
the high point of a vacation. "I'm still on cloud nine," said Gigi Alpers, a
retired airlines reservations agent from Rego Park, Queens, who came upon a
900-pound leatherback during an early morning walk in Aruba in May. She
found the experience more thrilling than spotting leopards, lion cubs and
white rhinos on safari in South Africa last year. "When I saw what it took
for this huge creature to lay her eggs, then cover them up, then make a
false nest, then slowly make her way back to the water, well, I was in awe."
Sea turtles have been swimming in the oceans of the world for more than 100
million years. But over the last couple of centuries their numbers have
dwindled because of hunting (turtles are killed for meat, skin and shells;
their eggs are eaten and, in some countries, used as aphrodisiacs) and
commercial fishing (turtles drown when accidentally caught in trawl nets).
In the 1950's, an American biologist, Archie Carr, began calling attention
to the problem. His work tagging and recording data on green turtles in
Tortuguero, Costa Rica, which he chronicled in "The Windward Road,"
published in 1956, led to the founding of the Caribbean Conservation
Corporation, a leading sea turtle research organization based in
Gainesville, Fla. Eventually, all seven of the world's species - from the
Kemp's Ridley, which is about two feet long and weighs no more than 100
pounds, to the leatherback, which can grow to eight feet and more than 2,000
pounds - were listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Since then, several countries have joined the United States in outlawing
hunting and egg collecting, and shrimp fishermen operating in many parts of
the world must now use nets with turtle excluder devices, which allow the
animals to escape. Small turtle populations in various locations have been
stabilized, and some are thriving.
But it's still open season in many lands, and even where hunting and egg
gathering are prohibited, beachfront development nibbles away at turtle
nesting and foraging habitats. Community, fishing, religious and
environmental groups, including the National Wildlife Federation, have been
working to stop a Four Seasons resort from being built on a leatherback
nesting spot in what is known as the Northeastern Ecological Corridor, on
the north side of Puerto Rico. Elizabeth Pizzinato, a Four Seasons
spokeswoman, said, "These issues are being worked out" in the project's
development with the help of environmental experts.
Where hotels and houses exist, their lights sometimes lead turtles astray,
drawing them inland where they tumble into chlorinated pools or wander onto
streets, where they have been hit by cars. Such occurrences have led East
Coast beach communities to pass lighting ordinances (and given hoteliers
another reason to remind guests to turn out their lights).
Karen Eckert, the executive director of the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle
Conservation Network, a Duke University nonprofit organization that gathers
data collected by scientists in the Caribbean, says that her group is now
completing a handbook with guidelines for hotels. Its key recommendations:
retrofit lighting, keep beaches clean and clear and reduce foot traffic at
night.
Dr. Eckert and others like her want to prevent beaches from being overrun by
nighttime turtle seekers, who scare the skittish creatures away. They also
want to keep people from climbing on top of turtles, taking flash pictures
of the females while they're laying their eggs, handling hatchlings
unnecessarily or in any way delaying their entry into the water, where they
float for several years, until they are mature enough to mate. Only one in
1,000 hatchlings survives to maturity. "The beach stuff is what we worry
about," Dr. Eckert said. "That is the most vulnerable stage. You are walking
hundreds of people right into the delivery room."
Still, scientists say that it seems that no harm is done when a trained
guide takes a few people to watch a turtle lay her eggs (from the rear,
where they're least likely to distract her), or look on as inchlong
hatchlings wiggle their way up out of their sandy nest and scrabble down the
shore.
But, of course, the turtles themselves have to cooperate. Turtle populations
nest in different seasons in different places. Nesting females will lay eggs
three to five times a season, usually at two-week intervals. But as with
other things in nature, there are no guarantees.
So found Martin Lawrence, a neuroscientist at Mc Master University in
Hamilton, Ontario, who was with his wife and three children in St. Martin
last spring. The family then flew to Dominica to see turtles. They never
did. "Every night we went to bed primed, our clothes ready, so that if a
call came in we could just scoot over there," he said. Even though a turtle
came onto the beach the night before their arrival and the night after they
left, none appeared during their stay. "We were disappointed," he said.
------------------------
A Hippo and Tortoise Tale
by Jennifer Ludden
All Things Considered, July 17, 2005
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4754996
It sounds like a fable or a fairy tale. The main characters are an orphaned
baby hippopotamus and a 130-year-old giant tortoise. The hippo was rescued
from a natural disaster of biblical proportions, and the tortoise was meant
to be dinner a century ago. But the story of Owen the hippo and Mzee the
tortoise is absolutely true.
The animals are both the wards of Dr. Paula Kahumbu, general manager of
Lafarge Ecosystems, which runs a sanctuary in Mombasa, Kenya. She tells
Jennifer Ludden the story of a highly unlikely friendship and the children's
book she helped write to tell the tale.
Foreward from 'Owen & Mzee'
December 26th, 2004 started off as a normal, quiet day. My son Joshua and I
were out for a morning walk along the beach in front of my home when
suddenly the sea began to race in. Within minutes the ocean became
threatening. The tide had risen well beyond the high water mark. At that
instant it became apparent the Tsunami that had started nearly 4,000 miles
away far across the Indian Ocean would impact us as well. In less than 12
hours the Tsunami had finally reached the coast of Africa from its point of
origin in Banda Aceh.
We ran from the beach back to my house where my sister and her children were
waiting for us. They were all crying having just seen on television the
haunting images of the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami. Although we escaped
the waves, a one year old hippopotamus 80 kilometers away was not as lucky.
Just before Christmas the unseasonably heavy rains near Malindi town washed
a family of hippopotamuses down the Sabaki River and out to sea. The
residents of the town tried in vain to urge the family back up the estuary.
When the Tsunami hit Malindi, the sea turned angry, the sky clouded over and
for a moment the hippos disappeared and were forgotten as all efforts went
to rescuing the stranded fishermen.
The next day only one hippo could be seen. It was the baby and he was
stranded on the reef. Hundreds of people came to watch the efforts to rescue
the hippo. It took ropes, boats, nets and cars --though the hippo was tired
he was still fast and slippery. It took a brave rugby tackle to finally
capture him, and the cheering of the crowd could be heard over a kilometer
away.
Lafarge Eco Systems agreed to provide a home for the baby hippo and I rushed
to Malindi to collect him. Tangled in fishing ropes, angry and tired, the
hippo did not seem to appreciate our rescue at all. As we left for Mombasa,
the crowd unanimously agreed to name him 'Owen' in honor of the volunteer
who tackled him to the ground.
Exhausted, confused and extremely frightened, Owen immediately ran to the
safety of a giant tortoise when we released him in Haller Park. Mzee, our
130 year old tortoise, just happened to be nearby and he was very surprised
by Owen's odd behavior cowering behind him as a baby hippo does to its
mother. Mzee quickly came to terms with his new friend and even returned
signs of affection. The unusual relationship between this baby hippo and the
ancient tortoise amazed people the world over and has featured in most
countries on television and in news papers.
Owen and Mzee continue to spend their days together in the pond, feeding and
patrolling. Owen nudges Mzee to come for walks, and Mzee sometimes even
follows Owen. Hundreds of people have witnessed this incredible spectacle
first hand at Haller Park which is open every day to the public. Owen will
eventually be moved to a bigger pond in Haller Park were he can socialize
with other hippos.
Dr. Paula Kahumbu
Chief Environmentalist, Haller Park
Mombasa, Kenya
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2005/jul/hippo/tortoisehippo200.jpg
Owen the baby hippo and Mzee the 130-year-old giant tortoise share a
snuggle.
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2005/jul/hippo/followleader200x100.jpg
Since he was rescued, Owen has trailed after Mzee, but he will eventually be
sent to live with another hippo.
==========================
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To receive our news posts via email, send your request to info@gctts.org!
Annual East Texas Herp Breeder Sale!
The 15th Annual East Texas Herpetological Society's Breeder Expo and
Educational Exhibit will be held Sunday, September 11th at the Crowne
Plaza Hotel, located at 12801 Northwest Freeway (Hwy 290) in Houston.
Breeder shows like this one are the best places to obtain captive born
reptiles. The Expo will be open to the public from 11 AM until 5 PM.
GCTTS will have an educational booth at this very heavily attended
event, and are in need of volunteers. If you can help man our booth or
exhibit animals, let us know by August 20th. A good working knowledge of
turtles and tortoises will be needed for this event. We are also looking
for set-up help at 9 AM. Admission is free for our volunteers.
More information on the conference, expo and sale:
http://www.eths.org/html/expo2005.htm
---------------------------------------
Report Those Box Turtles!
Bob Smither, GCTTS Member
Box turtle populations are on the decline in Texas, and elsewhere. Many
of us are old enough to remember when it was unusual to drive through a
rural area without seeing at least one of these native Texans. Now it is
unusual to see them.
The Box Turtle Partnership of Texas (GCTTS is an active member of the
Partnership) is working hard to gather the scientific data needed so
that the state of Texas can take action to protect our box turtles. It
is feared by many that without some form of protection, our Texas box
turtle populations may be doomed.
The box turtle populations are being reduced by many factors, including
the continuing chopping up of box turtle habitats by roads and the
continuing collection of turtles from the wild for the pet trade.
Box turtle populations are fragile. Research has demonstrated that once
an adult box turtle is displaced from its home range (which may be as
small as a few acres) it will seldom settle into a new area, even if the
new area is suitable habitat. The displaced turtles tend to continue to
wander, often encountering deadly roadways as a result. Experiments with
even very large preserves have shown that displaced turtles simply do
not prosper.
Box turtles must have a minimum population density in order to sustain a
population within a region. The removal of even a single reproducing
adult from a population can have devastating consequences.
These issues and more are discussed in the Box Turtle Partnership of
Texas's FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).
Quoting from the Turtle and Tortoise Newsletter, 2000, 1:19, article by
Martha Ann Messinger & George M. Patton:
"Act 81 of the 1999 Session of the Louisiana Legislature prohibits the
commercial harvest of Louisianas box turtle populations. This law,
which became effective August 15, 1999, was unanimously passed by both
the Louisiana Senate and the House of Representatives. This is an
outstanding victory for one of Louisianas turtles and will have far
reaching impact on box turtles in other states."
The Box Turtle Partnership of Texas is gathering information to support
a similar law in Texas.
One way that we can help with this effort is to report any sightings of
box turtles in the field. This includes any that are found deceased. The
GCTTS has an on-line reporting form that has been approved by
representatives of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The form is
linked from our home page at www.GCTTS.org. Reports entered into our
on-line form are e-mailed directly to the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department.
The next time you see a box turtle in the field, report it! You just
might be saving these charming critters for your children's generation.
---------------------------------------
Can You Help the GCTTS Turtle Shuttle?
GCTTS operates over the entire greater Houston area and as such relies
on people to help shuttle and serve as drop-off and pick-up houses for
turtles & tortoises. Our rehab people are quite overloaded making
arrangements to get incoming turtles and sending out turtles that have
been adopted to their adoptive homes.
If you are able to help with transport, please indicate the areas of
Houston you can help shuttle to and from.
If you are able to provide temporary housing of incoming and outgoing
GCTTS turtles & tortoises until they are picked up by a shuttle
volunteer, please let us know.
We are also looking for someone to manage the "turtle shuttle". This
would involve maintaining contact information on the drop-off, pick-up
volunteers, and shuttle volunteers, and making all turtle shuttling
arrangements.
---------------------------------------
Power Feeding in Chelonians - Just Don't Do It!
Julie Young, GCTTS Member
You may have heard the term "power feeding," and you may have even
thought it sounded seductive. Power feeding is rumored to make turtles
grow faster - "bigger and better" - and to ready babies for the pet
market sooner. Buy power feeding is mostly a power trip for the
breeder, and actually causes harm to the animals. We strongly recommend
against the practice, and will explain here.
Power feeding is a method used by breeders to force their turtles to
grow to market size more rapidly than Nature provides for. It involves
feeding much more food than the turtles would normally find in their
native habitat, and usually also includes the feeding of much richer
foods than are naturally included in a wild turtle's diet. Many people
who own turtles as "pets" unknowingly follow the same practice.
Let's look at the most commonly kept turtle, the box turtle. In the
wild, box turtles eat what they find when they find it - and that isn't
much, and it's not every day. Box turtles eat bugs and worms when they
can catch them, carrion when they come across it, and vegetable matter
when it's available. This means that they may eat occasional
protein-rich foods (insects, worms, meat) occasionally. As for
vegetation, they may eat a large amount of a particular food when it's
in season, and then eat another type as the seasons change and different
plants mature. It's common for box turtles to not eat at all for a day
or more, because the food supply simply isn't always predictable or
plentiful. This is the natural flow of things, and it's the way a
turtle's body was meant to function. Eating in this way will provide
the animal with all the nutrients it needs, and allows time for the body
to absorb these nutrients and put them to use for growth, to support
body functions, to fuel the reproductive system, and to stockpile for
the winter estivation (hibernation) period.)
Power feeding interrupts and sabotages this natural process. When a
turtle eats more than it's body is naturally designed to process,
problems almost always occur. One important problem is the issue of
calcium. Turtles need calcium for healthy bone and shell formation, and
for smooth operation of internal organs. If a turtle is power fed, its
shell will grow faster than normal, and its demand for calcium will
exceed its intake. The growing shell must take calcium from somewhere,
and the skeletal structure often becomes the source. This means that
calcium is leached from the bones in order to feed the growing shell.
The result is a weakened skeletal structure, which greatly affects the
health and longevity of the animal.
Calcium is also needed for proper functioning of the kidneys and other
internal organs, as well as for egg formation. If insufficient calcium
is available because it is being mis-directed to the shell, the turtle
can become weak and ill and even die. Females can produce eggs that are
not strong enough to survive the laying or incubation process.
Power feeding also creates shell deformities, because the shell will
grow faster than the underlying structure was designed to support. The
scoots of the shell grow and grow, pushing outward from the shell,
causing a "pyramiding" effect. This gives an absurdly deformed
appearance to the shell, and it's not at all healthy for the turtle.
Turtles and tortoises should be fed a diet as close as possible to what
they would find in the wild. If the diet is adequate, there is no need
for additional vitamin or mineral supplements. Yes, the animal may grow
more slowly, and you won't have the "fun" of watching him eat every
day. But he'll ultimately be healthier and stronger, and you'll have
the joy of having him with you for a long, long time.
---------------------------------------
Florida Turtles Suffer Unusually High Cancer Rate
Vero Beach Press Journal
http://www.chem-tox.com/brevard/main/htm
Submitted by Anita Peddicord, GCTTS Member
Tumors were once a rare occurrence on Florida turtles, however, today it
is more the norm. It was reported that 50-65% of turtles throughout
sections of Florida's rivers are being found with tumors over their
bodies (note the whitish growths along the front of the turtle's
flippers). Although the tumors are believed to result from viral
infections, the fact that only turtles in polluted waters have the
tumors raises questions to the potential for pesticides and chemicals to
weaken the immune systems of the turtles. It is the immune system that
must function properly to constantly remove virus, bacteria and cancer
cells as they develop. When the immune system is weakened enough in any
living mammal by pesticides, viral and cancer cells can then grow more
rapidly, thereby causing greater damage to the organism.
Central Florida River systems are currently running out of time because
of the damaging impact of pesticides and chemicals from lawn spray
applications, commercial citrus grove run-off and large scale aerial and
truck applications of mosquito control pesticides. Fish and other
aquatic organisms (especially shrimp) have been reported as experiencing
mutations in development and alterations in important behaviors critical
to the survival of the organism from very low levels of pesticide
run-off exposure.
In an article on the increased number of tumors being found on turtles,
appearing in the April 21, 1996 Vero Beach, Press Journal, Florida
biologist Liew Ehrhart stat