The New York Turtle and Tortoise Society

The New York Turtle and Tortoise Society, Inc., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the conser­vation, preservation of habitat, and the promotion of proper husbandry and captive propagation of turtles and tortoises. The Society emphasizes the education of its members and the public in all areas relevant to the appreciation of these unique animals. Donations to the Society are tax deductible and can be made online
with your credit card by clicking the Donate button, or by sending a check payable to NYTTS, to NYTTS Donations, 1214 W. Boston Post Road, Box 267, Mamaroneck, NY 10543. Visit NYTTS on Facebook.

About NYTTS Join Meetings Seminars Annual Shows Links Care/Veterinarians News & Past Events

We gratefully acknowledge our contributors! We heartily thank the many who have already contributed in 2024 as well as those throughout the pandemic.
Donors in 2024: John V. Emmanuel and Kallyn B. Krash, Lesley Fagen*, Michael Feller, Linda Gould, Michal-Lynn Gramby, Danelle Leavitt, Eric Gabriel Lehman, Jinyue Liu, Kaitlin Long, Rosalie D MacHalow, Jeff Marino, Edward McCann, Regina McCarthy*, Mark Mellinger, Roberto Mendez, Karen Meyerhoff, Shalisa Miller, Patrick Moldowan, Joseph Olewnicki, PayPal Giving Fund, Daniel Peretz, Joyce Pietz, Pioneer Reptiles, LLC, Jacquelyn Plate, David Pollak, Mark Randall, Aneka Roberts, Silas Rock, Mary Rooney, Sean Rose, Cherlyn Russo, Cori-Ann Roublick*, Christopher Schoer, the Sheehan Family (in memoray of Phyllis Baumann), Thomas Shoesmith, Jodi Shook, Karl Sigman, Madeline Silverman, Marion Slade, K Sridhar, Kevin Sweeney, Sarah Torpey, Joelle Troisi, Benjamin Van Buren, Jillian Weinstein, and Franklin Wetzel.
* Indicates recurring donations, which are especially appreciated.



NYTTS salutes Prime Produce! — a not-for-profit 501(c)3 community service organization located in Manhattan. We are pleased to have been hosted by them on both February 18 and April 21. The venue is a fully equipped theatrical workshop space, which was ideal for our presentation and the 50+ members in attendance.

Our February meeting (thanks to Covid 19) was the first fully in-person meeting in three years, and the April meeting were a great successes and we are very pleases with our new partnership with Prime Produce! See snapshots of the February and April meetings.



Two Upcoming Events in May


SUBMERGE Marine Science Festival

Pier 84 at Hudson River Park, Manhattan
Saturday, May 18, 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.


Entrance to Pier 84 at Hudson River Park


SUBMERGE brings marine science to life as we learn about NYC’s coastal waters from our River Project team and more than 30 regional STEM experts. This interactive science festival invites the public to explore water topics through awesome experiments, kid-approved enter­tainment and much more! Hudson River Park’s River Project is committed to advancing Hudson River Park’s River Project is committed to ad­vancing public awareness and under­standing of our connected waterways. SUBMERGE aims to inspire and make marine science and STEM ac­cessible and engaging for everyone; we look forward to welcoming science lovers of all ages to take part in the fun! Join us to talk to the pub­lic about turtles!
If you have native New York spe­cies you would like to bring, please contact Matt Hybel at info@nytts.org.

Getting to Pier 84

Pier 84 lies just between Pier 83 (the Circle Line Tours) and Pier 85 (the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum).

Public Transportation: From Grand Central Station, Times Square or Port Authority, take the M42 crosstown bus on 42nd Street west to the last stop (see “M42 last stop” marked on the Google map below). Walk uptown (north) past Pier 83 (the Circle Line) and up to Pier 84 (Hudson River Park).

By Car: Public parking is available at the Circle Line on Pier 83 (for a fee of $30–$35).





“Turtle Island Gets Green Encoded”
Presented by Rita Chen

Sunday, May 26, 2:00 p.m.
Prime Produce, 424 W 54th St., Manhattan

Turtle Island Founders

Reiner Praschag, PhD

Peter Praschag, PhD

Shannon DiRuzzo, DVM

Headquartered in Austria, Turtle Island is home to the largest and most diverse turtle collection on earth. It is devoted to saving turtles and tortoises from extinction through acute rescue, long-term care, comprehensive research, scientific breeding, and finally — returning turtles to their native land with rewilding projects.

As a court-certified expert in structural engineering and zoology as well as a CITES-Assessor for species conservation, Reiner Praschag and his son Peter turned their family hobby into careers, and along with veterinarian Shannon DiRuzzo, launched the Turtle Island foundation. In 40 years they had managed to establish one of the greatest and most important turtle collections worldwide with more than 296 taxa, or species and subspecies.

After he received his degree in biology and zoology, Peter Praschag, with his father Reiner and veterinarian Shannon DiRuzzo, founded Turtle Island, Next to his duties as a turtle-breeder and conservator, he is a court-certified expert for biology (keeping and breeding of zoo animals), a member of the Freshwater Turtle and Tortoise Specialist Group/IUCN, and a scientific consultant at the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA). He serves as Vice-President of the Turtle Island Corporation, a US-based 501(c)(3) corporation.

Since 2011, Shannon DiRuzzo has been busy working with various international turtle conserva­tion projects combining veterinary medicine

Rita Chen
with the conserva­tion of nature. She is a Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) conservation biologist for solar energy projects and the US military in California and Nevada. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Amphibian und Reptilienkrank­heiten (AG ARK), and Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Herpetologie und Terrari­enkunde (DGHT). In 2018, she co-founded and is the President of the Turtle Island Corporation.

Rita Chen, the presenter of this event, is a passionate conservationist and new­comer to the field of conserva­tion. With a background in photography and a deep love for nature, she has recently taken on the role of donations mana­ger for Turtle Island. She is committed to raising awareness and funds for conserva­tion efforts, particularly focused on protecting turtles and their habi­tats. She will give a PowerPoint presentation and a feature film from Turtle Island. Turtle Island has joined forces with Green Encoded to save turtles with green sustainable investment opportunities.




The Venue

Prime Produce, 424 West 54th Street,
between 9th and 10th Avenues
(image capture from Google Earth Street View)

Parking:
Sunday street parking should be possible.
There is a nearby Parking Garage at:
511 West 54th, between 10th and 11th Avenues

Nearest Subway:
59th Street, Columbus Circle, A-B-C-D-1 trains
50th Street and 8th Avenue, C and E trains

Buses: 8th Avenue from Port Authority area up to 54th Street





ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE
Conservation and
Biology of Tortoises
and Freshwater Turtles


Each year, the Turtle Survival Alliance joins with the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group to host the Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Fresh­water Turtles. The most esteemed global event of its kind, the Symposium provides an unmatched opportunity for those in our field to share their research, initiatives, techniques, and accomplishments.

Further information: turtlesurvival.org/annual-symposium/.







Bob Zappalorti’s New Book — The Bog Turtle, and ARC’s Bog Turtle Program


This book provides in-depth natural history in­formation on Bog Turtles, including their taxo­nomic back­ground, survival tactics, predators, reproductive biology, foraging habits and diet, habitat preferences, hibernation stategies, and conservation. Zappalorti will take you on a step-by-step journey to explore the life of this small and interest­ing turtle. Wel­come to the secret world of the Bog Turtle.

The Bog Turtle is available in paperback for $29.95, or for the limited-edition leather-bound copy for $79.95. To order, Click here.



Photo © José Garrido

Today, the Bog Turtle is in grave danger. Loss of ha­bitat and demand for the pet trade repre­sent se­vere threats. See the Amphibian and Reptile Conser­vancy’s program on the southern popula­tion of Bog Turtles, Small Turtles, Big Future...


“This generation isn’t going to want to preserve the environment if
they haven’t been a part of it. You only value and protect what you love.”


J.J. Apodaca, the Executive Director of ARC, presents “Protecting What We Love.”
View the ARC blog at https://arcprotects.org/blog/ and sign up for their newsletter at the bottom of the page.




The Last Female Giant Yangtze Softshell Turtle Dies.

Over the past decade we have followed the Giant Yangtze Softshell Turtle in Hoàn Kiêm Lake in Hanoi and the nearly tireless efforts by turtle biologists to breed the remaining three individuals. At the 2017 NYTTS Annual Seminar, Wildlife Conser­vation Society Chief Veterinarian Paul Calle presented his Yangtze Giant Soft­shell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) Reproduc­tion Update. Now that the last remaining female has died, the species is on the brink of extinc­tion unless another female can be found.

See the Time magazine article “An Ex­tremely Rare, Revered Reptile Is on the Brink of Extinction After Last Female Dies”.



Saluting Our Own Lorri Cramer, Director of the NYTTS Turtle Rehab Program

When authorities find sick or illegally obtained turtles in New York City, Lorri Cramer is one of the first people they call. As a wildlife rehabilitator, Cramer nurses the little guys back to health until they are ready to be released in the wild. Over the past 30 years, she has taken care of thousands of turtles from her Manhattan apartment.




Sea Turtle Evolution

Sea Turtles represent an ancient lineage of reptiles with a complex evolutionary history stretching back over hundreds of millions of years - in this video we're going to explore some of that history, to see what makes these animals so special.




Notice to New York City Residents

     The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation now has a 24-hour tips line to report violations of protected species regulations. It is prohibited to sell any New York State species of reptiles and amphibians. If you see any New York species for sale in pet shops or markets, please call 1-800-847-7332. Report the name and address of the business, and the animals you observed for sale.

Turtle Care Video from the Mid-Atlantic Turtle & Tortoise Society

NYTTS Red-eared Slider Adoption Policy

     Unfortunately, we no longer have local homes for these turtles because of the high numbers that have come to us in recent years. We sometimes have members with ponds who may offer to take in displaced sliders. We do not accept postings by individuals for adoptions of any species. All adoptions are handled through official NYTTS channels, and notices will be emailed to members at the discretion of our Board. Those members wishing to place turtles or to be considered as prospective adopters of sliders and other species should email QandA@nytts.org with their contact information and the species they are interested in placing or adopting. Photos of their turtle/tortoise habitats and accommodations should be provided. Photos of turtles to be placed should also be provided.

     For more information on the status of red-eared sliders, see Sliders, Siders, Everywhere.




Proceedings: Conservation, Restoration, and Management of
Tortoises and Turtles — An International Conference


Published by the New York Turtle and Tortoise Society, 1997, xxiv + 494 pages, 8½” × 11", softcover, 94 black-and-white and 14 color photos.  Peer-reviewed and updated papers from the July 1993 Purchase, New York, conference. 
“This volume is a goldmine of information on the population status, dynamics, and conservation prospects of the tortoises and turtles of the world.”   — Peter C. H. Pritchard
See volume description with abstracts.

A limited number of copies are still available and can be sent for a donation to NYTTS.
Please write jvanabbema@nytts.org


The Asian Turtle Crisis: An Update — Two videos taken 13 years apart show that little changed in the markets in Guangzhou, China, from 1997 to 2009. Compare the videos.


Clarifying Regulations in New York State for all Native Species:  The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation now requires a permit to keep any species of reptile and amphibian native to New York State. This includes all twelve species of New York turtles. The mechanism by which owners of New York turtles may acquire permits is being investigated.  Read and download an overview of the new regulations.



Membership

Membership in the New York Turtle and Tortoise Society is open to all interested persons for an annual fee of $25.  Your membership helps support the Society’s activities and programs, including Rescue/Rehab and Public Education, as well as meetings and lectures. Please click the Donate button below to go to our secure page at PayPal and specify “New Member” on the PayPal form. If you are renewing your membership, click the Donate button and specify “Renewing Membership” on the Paypal form.

  Donations to the New York Turtle and Tortoise Society are tax deductible and can be made online with your credit card by clicking the Donate button, or by sending a check payable to NYTTS, to NYTTS Donations, 1214 W. Boston Post Road, Box 267, Mamaroneck, NY 10543.

NYTTS Mailing List.  If you wish to be added or removed from our mailing list, please write jvanabbema@nytts.org.

Questions?  Send your inquiries to the appropriate committee chair:
  • General Information — Turtle husbandry and health care, adoptions, NYTTS activities and general information. If you have a turtle-related question, write qanda@nytts.org.
  • Public Education and Information Chair — Barbara Daddario
         Public education programs and outreach events, adoptions
  • Director of Turtle Rehabilitation and Curriculum Development — Lorri Cramer
         Wild turtle rehab, injured, and sick turtles
  • Memberships and Sales — Allen Foust
         Membership inquiries and member records
  • Programs, Meetings, and Habitat Construction — Matt Hybel
         Speaker acquisition, scheduling, and design and construction of habitats
  • Conservation, Trade Issues, and Media — Allen Salzberg
         (See also www.herpdigest.org, a free electronic newsletter.)
  • Webmaster — Jim Van Abbema


Prime Produce is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 community service organization located in Manhattan. We are very grateful and pleased to have been hosted by them on February 18. The venue is a fully equipped theatrical workshop space, which is ideal for our presentations and members. We look forward to our new partnership with Prime Produce in the future.

NYTTS gratefully acknowledges ZooMed Laboratories, Inc., That Pet Place, and Unco Industries, Inc.–Vermiculture for their ongoing donations of gift certificates and turtle and tortoise care supplies, made avail­able at our Annual Turtle and Tortoise Shows.