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


Bob Zappalort’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...


NYTTS Salutes ARC — the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy

The work of the ARC in South Carolina’s Francis Marion National Forest
deserves special notice. See the video below, Protecting What We Love.
(Click photos to enlarge; click again to shrink.)



Gopher frog ~ Photo © Ben Morrison
Rescuing Gopher Frogs in the Francis Marion PARCA, South Carolina

Outside Charleston, South Carolina stretches the Francis Marion National Forest — a 259,000-acre classic Lowcountry spread of upland forest, bottomland hardwood swamp, maritime forest, salt marsh, and longleaf pine forest. Among the bounty of habitats are some of the rarest, most fascinating, and most endangered amphibians and reptiles in the Southeast.

Elusive eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, the largest rattlesnakes in the world, and pinesnakes traverse the sun-soaked savannas. Gopher frogs lay eggs in ephemeral (seasonal) wetlands tucked among the trees where spotted turtles hide in the shallow water. ARC’s work in the Francis Marion PARCA, or Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Area, to protect all these species and more is at the heart of what we do.


Field biologists Jestin Clark and Ben Morrison
release headstarted frogs. ~ © Ben Morrison

ARC Volunteer Ab Abercrombie with gopher frog in Francis Marion
Photo © Ben Morrison
Gopher frogs are one of the most imper­iled frogs in the south­eastern United States; the loss of longleaf pine habitat, coupled with fire sup­pression and climate change, have put them at risk of extinction. Of the twelve historic breeding ponds in the Francis Marion PARCA, only three still contain gopher frogs, and we are working to keep their populations alive by headstarting. ARC has partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. For­est Service, and South Caro­lina Department of Na­tural Re­sources to keep their popula­tions alive. Along with their part­ners, the organiza­tion’s bio­logists collect eggs from the wild, hatch them, and raise the larvae until they meta­morphose. Raising them past the most vulnerable stages of their lives increases the odds of survival for the young ani­mals, which are released back into the wild. Over the past few years, ARC and their part­ners have released more than 700 young frogs each season.

ARC is also restoring the frog's habitat, including the temporary wetlands the frogs need for critical stages of their life cycles.


Gopher frog in container ~ © Sydney Sheedy
Gopher frog after release ~ © Sydney Sheedy

“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”.


Evolutionary History of Turtles — Tyler Lyson

NYTTS members may remember the presentation by then Smithsonian scientist Tyler Lyson at the 2014 Annual Seminar. Last year,
Tyler, now at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, gave a webinar on the same subject with updates, recorded and presented here.



Off the Beaten Path: Adventures in the Field

Learn how two conservation biologists turned childhood interests into fascinating and rewarding careers working with wild animals. Discover how the advantages of having an outdoor childhood, patience of supportive parents, benefits of professional mentors, and the importance of doing what you love. Tim Walsh (Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT) and Dr. Craig Stanford (University of Southern California, Los Angeles) share the stories of their unique backgrounds and present details of their current research efforts. Best if viewed full screen.


John Iverson Builds a Wetland Forest

Renowned turtle scientist and Professor Emeritus (Earlham College, Richmond, IN), John Iverson is well known to many NYTTS members as a past Annual Seminar speaker. For the past 30+ years he has transformed a 20-acre field into a wetland forest. View this online interview, recorded in May, detailing the development of this amazing parcel. Watch the Webinar:

How a Herpetologist Dug his Pond for Free


    

Some of the turtles that have come to live in the ponds

And some of the frogs who have come as well



Best-In-Show winner Frank Schneider and Show Judge
Frank Indiviglio, June 15, 2019 ~ Photo by Anita Salzberg		 Frank Schneider wins Best in Show for his
Pancake Tortoise at the 45th
Annual Turtle and Tortoise Show!

See the list of winners and photos from the Show.


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.




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

 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.