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.
Bob Zappalorts New Book The Bog Turtle, and ARCs 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.
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 Conservancys 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 Carolinas Francis Marion National Forest
deserves special notice. See the video below, Protecting What We Love.
(Click photos to enlarge; click again to shrink.)
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. ARCs 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.
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 organizations 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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 Societys 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