Problems with Prosecution

Prosecuting cases of gopher tortoise killings by developers in Florida can be frustrating. Details here.

Turtle News

Archaeological evidence shows that Hermann's tortoises were prey to early hunters in Spain. (News source.)

Seven men in Mexico were arrested for poaching 9000 sea turtle eggs. (News source.)

Tortoise Editorial

One columnist's opinion on St. Lucie County (Florida) wanting to set up a gopher tortoise sanctuary.

Smugglers Intercepted

2 tons of live snakes and 770 kg of tortoises were intercepted in Vietnam before they could be taken into China. (News source.)

Another Symbol for Florida

Keep in mind Florida already has a state reptile (the alligator) and recently made the loggerhead the state saltwater reptile; now a Senator has passed classroom-based legislation making the gopher tortoise a state symbol -- the state tortoise. (News source.)

Thai Smuggling

Two wildlife smugglers were caught in Thailand trying to ship out over 1,000 snakes and tortoises to China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. (News source.)

Chelonian News

168 smuggled tortoises were seized by police in Bihar, India. (News source.)

16 sea turtles were rehabilitated and released here.

Galapagos: New Threat

An active volcano on Isabela Island is threatening giant tortoises on that area. (News source.)

Tortoise Smugglers Caught

Five tortoise smugglers were captured in a police raid in Uttar Pradesh, India. (News source.)

Kids Kill Tortoises

South African police caught 4 children who killed several leopard tortoises, and made them bury the reptiles. (News source.)

Black Market Tortoises

Here is an article on a black market in Bangkok with very rare tortoises.

Desert Tortoises Killed

23 relocated desert tortoises have been killed by coyotes after being displaced from the Ft. Irwin expansion area. (News source.)

Herp Crimes

The UK mastermind of an illegal tortoise smuggling ring has been charged. (News source.)

A couple of snakes were stolen from Flamingo Gardens in Florida. (News source.)

A woman who stole a young boa constrictor from a Michigan pet shop has returned the snake. (News source.)

Desert Evac

Desert tortoises are being evacuated and relocated from land that will be used in expansion of Fort Irwin. (News source.)

Ravens vs Desert Tortoises

Federal wildlife officers plan to kill any ravens caught preying on desert tortoises in the California desert, along with using other methods to make the area uninviting for the birds. (News source.)

Tortoise Breeds

A 70 year old Galapagos tortoise at the Zurich Zoo had a baby hatch out. (News source.)

Tortoise Smuggling

A crate of 9 tortoises were confiscated in Israel, apparently having been smuggled in (possibly just a waystop on their way elsewhere). (News source.)

Tortoises Confiscated

A Czech man attempted to sell young Hermann's tortoises online without the proper permits, and a court recently confiscated his colony. (News source.)

Turtle News

Logging in Gabon has led to loose logs floating up on beaches, creating barriers for leatherback turtles trying to beach themselves for nesting. (News source.)

Sand dunes are being built up on South Padre Island for nesting Kemps Ridley sea turtles. (News source.)

A Missouri man was arrested for stealing a tortoise from a veterinary hospital. (News source.)

Turtles and a Tortoise

Nine juvenile sea turtles were released at a Florida beach after rehabilitation from red tide poisoning. (News source.)

A pet tortoise in the UK piled up the dry straw substrate in her terrarium under the heat lamp, and almost burned the house down. (News source.)

Smugglers and Poachers

Pakistani wildlife officers found a partially skinned crocodile (protected) along a road in DHA. It was uncertain whether the reptile had been hunted in the wild or stolen from a breeding center. (News source.)

Two tortoise smugglers were shot and killed, three others got away, in an encounter with police in India. (News source.)

Madagascar Tortoise Smuggling

Here's a BBC News article on the capture of a Nigerian smuggler who was found with 300 tortoises from Madagascar, and a general review of the problem.

Tortoise Surgery

Veterinarians at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine performed front leg surgery on a yellow-foot tortoise. Specific details are vague (they removed a piece of the humerus?) but apparently it was the first time this particular surgery was done on a tortoise. (News source.)

Smuggler Indicted

A Chico, CA, man and an unknown conspirator in Singapore have been indicted in federal court for trafficking in smuggled tortoises. (News source.)

Tortoise Smuggling

657 star tortoises were discovered being smuggled through Chennai airport. (News source.)

Tortoise Product Smugglers

Punjab, Pakistan, wildlife officials confiscated 26 cartons of smuggled tortoise meat and 5 bags of shells. (News source.)

Gopher Tortoise Crime

Two Indiantown, FL, men were caught trespassing on private land and injuring a gopher tortoise. (News source.)

Reptile Fossils from Blue Hole

Excavations in a Bahamian blue hole (a water-filled sinkhole) have come up with fossils of a terrestrial crocodilian, a large tortoise, and several other creatures that became extinct after the islands became inhabited. (News source.)

Smuggled Reptiles

6 Bangledeshi nationals were arrested for possession (on the wrong side of the India border, it looks like) of 10 endangered reptiles: king cobras and elongated tortoises. (News source.)

Tortoise Move

A number of gopher tortoises in Brevard County (FL) are being relocated to Pasco County due to developing Rhodes Park into soccer fields. Costs are running up to $162,000 for the project. (News source.)

Tortoise Research

An interesting article on Galapagos tortoises here.

Tortoise Preserve

73 acres with gopher tortoises in Lutz, FL, may be turned into a conservation preserve. (News source.)

Turtles Tip

Some researchers have been looking into how turtles are able to right themselves after being tipped. (Nature article.)

Tortoise Smuggler

A Tampa, FL, pet shop owner pleaded guilty to charges in a smuggling racket involving Burmese and Indian star tortoises. (News source.)

Tortoise Snack

Here's a news site, with video showing a leopard tortoise eating hyena dung to aid in digestion. (News source.)

Smuggler Pleads Guilty

A Southern California man is pleading guilty to smuggling rare Asian chelonians into the country. (News source)

Tortoise Hatching

The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park in Carlsbad, NM, has hatched out some Bolson's tortoises, an endangered North American species. (News source.)

Tortoise on the Run

A large Sulcata tortoise escaped from its pen at a Missouri pet shop and is missing. A reward has been posted. (News source.)

Sulcata Found

Joyce the Sulcata tortoise was found by a young driver near the Great Dismal Swamp, who took her home. The family identified her as an African tortoise, and then was alerted to the news coverage of the lost chelonian. Joyce was promptly reunited with her owner. (News source.)

Sulcata Lost

Joyce, the African sulcata tortoise, dug out of her fenced backyard in Virginia and wandered off. Someone, not recognizing that Joyce wasn't a native species, picked her off the road in an effort to save her and took her to the Great Dismal Swamp. Joyce's owner has been visiting the swamp to try and retrieve the tortoise. (News source.)

Galapagos Tortoise Poaching

Eight shells have been found by Galapagos Island rangers, who believe the tortoises were slaughtered by poachers for meat. Five were young tortoises up to 15 years of age, some of which spent the first several years being reared in captivity. (News source.)

Smuggled Star Tortoises

Malaysia has a loophole in its wildlife laws, apparently, which allows star tortoises, smuggled in from India, to be sold in pet stores. The stores claim they are captive-bred; this is disputed by wildlife officials, but without proof they can't confiscate. (News source.)

Problems for Lonesome George

While a genetic survey is being attempted to locate a possible mate for the only remaining Pinta Island Galapagos tortoise, it may be moot. Some keepers and biologists note that Lonesome George has not shown much interest in mating in the past, and may not know how. (News source.)

Tortoise Smuggling

A shipment of "clay pots" from Tanzania to Malaysia turned out to be 76 baby leopard tortoises. The smuggled reptiles have been confiscated and are awaiting probable return to Africa. (News source.)

Army Moving Tortoises

The U. S. Army is expanding the National Training Center Ft. Irwin, in the Mojave Desert, so is moving an estimated 700 to 1,000 endangered desert tortoises. It has awarded a 5-year, $6.9 million contract to ITS Corp. to track down, relocate, and monitor the tortoises. (News source.)

Oldest Gopher Tortoise

Gus the gopher tortoise turns 85 this year. There will be a birthday party at his home, the Museum of Natural History in Halifax. (News source.)

Turkish Tortoise Smuggling

Turkish police caught a foreign citizen attempting to smuggle 8 endangered tortoises (species unnamed) out of the country. (News source.)

Gopher Tortoises

Developers of a mall in Florida are planning to move gopher tortoises out of the way, while a group of mall opponents is fighting the move. (News source.)

Smuggled Tortoises Intercepted

India's Border Security Force intercepted a group of elongated tortoises being smuggled from Bangladesh into India. They were found in a sack hanging under a bridge. (News source.)