Herp Conservation Notes

A new hibernaculum was created for some relocated fox snakes in Illinois. (News source.)

Half of a Sussex Co., NJ, bog was acquired for conservation as bog turtle habitat for $1.1 million. Negotiations for the other half are ongoing. (News source.)

Some tuatara conservation research here.

Freshwater crocs are being pushed out of the Northern Territories by saltwater crocs. (News source.)

Snake Poacher

Arizona G&F prosecuted a snake/turtle poacher in 2009. (News source.)

Missouri Turtle Dealer Sentenced

A Missouri turtle farmer was sentenced for shipping native and endangered species without permit to Japan. (News source.)

Big Softshell

A Thai zoo/aquarium has put a huge softshell turtle on display. (News source.)

Turtle Bridges

Kim Komando's video of the day on a wood turtle researcher, here.

Arakan Forest Turtles

Wildlife researchers have seen Arakan forest turtles alive in their native habitat for the first time. (News source.)

Custody Turtles

A Georgia man was acquitted of charges last year, but still hasn't gotten back all of his turtles. Many died in custody, while others have been returned in poor condition. (News source.)

Turtles & the Law

A Massachusetts developer has run into restrictions from box turtle conservation requirements. (News source.)

The US Army wants to relocate 1100 endangered California desert tortoises. (News source.)

The USFWS is reviewing the desert tortoise for possible ESA inclusion. (News source.)

A Canadian turtle keeper was sentenced to nine months in jail for keeping threatened species, mostly Blanding's turtles. (News source.)

Sea turtles and their eggs will be banned for possession, consumption, etc., in the Bahamas soon. (News source.)

Vietnamese officials seized 10 tons of tortoise and pangolin shells smuggled in from Indonesia. (News source.)

Poachers continue to threaten the Madagascar spider tortoise. (News source.)

Labrador Snapper

A snapping turtle was picked up in Labrador, outside of its known range. (News source.)

Turtle Tech

Researchers are using GPS-devices to track diamondback terrapins. (News source.)

Other Turtle News

Ravens are on a hit list for killing endangered desert tortoises. (News source.)

A device for fishing nets that might protect sea turtles better is not enthusiastically welcomed by fishermen. (News source.)

Researchers found a leatherback sea turtle tagged in Nova Scotia has turned up in Colombia waters. (News source.)

Turtle Legal Issues

Florida has introduced their new rules on taking freshwater turtles. (News source.)

A Maldives resort could be in trouble for their unlicensed "conservation" project with sea turtle eggs. (News source.)

A nearly $3 million "ecopassage" under a busy Florida highway is mostly to save turtles (and protect motorists), but is controversial in Congress. (News source.)

Polish customs officials arrested a Ukrainian man for smuggling tortoises. (News source.)

A Filipino man was arrested in Malaysia for smuggling/selling turtle eggs. (News source.)

Turtle Woes

About twenty snapping turtles in North Dakota were killed by a bacterial outbreak. (News source.)

Poachers took out four sea turtle nests on Sarasota Co., FL, beaches. (News source.)

Turtle Bust (Baltimore)

Two street vendors were arrested for selling undersized turtles in Baltimore. (News source.)

Turtle Goes Home

A Washington family is getting back their western pond turtle on permanent loan from CA wildlife officials. (News source.)

Poachers

India officials are cracking down on frog poaching. (News source.)

An Indian national was arrested for smuggling turtles and fish. (News source.)

Turtle Invades China

Apparently, there's a species of turtle from the US that was introduced into China and is causing problems for the native species there. I'd suspect this was the red-eared slider, but the news account calls it the "Brazilian turtle." Not sure what that is supposed to mean. (News source.)

Turtle News

Indonesians on the island of Runduma are protecting the local sea turtles now, instead of using their eggs. (News source.)

The rare western pond turtle found in Washington state recently turns out to be an escaped family pet, but the owners probably won't get it back. (News source.)

Emergency fishing regs put into effect banning longlines in the Gulf of Mexico may become permanent. Longlines injure sea turtles and other non-target species. (News source.)

Dead turtles turning up in Menasha, WI, are worrying conservationists. (News source.)

A Florida man was charged with poaching sea turtle eggs. (News source.)

Turtle News

Tennessee conservationists want to protect their native turtles from the Asian food trade. (News source.)

A western pond turtle has been found in western Washington state, where it was thought extirpated. (News source.)

Crimes of a Herpetological Nature

Two suspects in Alabama were arrested for bludgeoning turtles to death. (News source.)

Individuals in the Democratic Republic of Congo are being tricked by con artists into thinking their diseases and illnesses are actually being caused by poisons (from local plants, lizards and toads), requiring payment for healing. (News source.)

Weird Culture

An Indian man was murdered by his wife and her lover when they threw a snake on him while he was sleeping. (News source.)

A female cleric in Kenya was almost attacked when she was discovered carrying a python. (News source.)

An Australian man beat a woman for eating the turtle he had captured. (News source.)

More on Operation Shellshock

Details on the poaching aspect from the pine barrens, here.

Stupid Reptile Laws are Still the Law...

Officials in Milwaukee confiscated a city resident's apparently well-kept collection of boids, monitors, turtles, and a "crocodile." (Not sure if that's an actual croc, or is a gator or caiman.) (News source, and here.)

Turtle Conservation

Arkansas Game and Fish has turned down petitions to end turtle harvesting in that state. (News source.)

Iowa conservationists are concerned with an increase in turtle harvesting in that state. (News source.)

The Dominican Republic has cracked down on souvenirs made from endangered sea turtle shell. (News source.)

Pennsylvania to Get State Reptile?

It's about time PA gets a state reptile, but why would someone suggest an eastern box turtle? (News source.) That's already the state reptile of several other states, and not particularly representative of the Keystone state. We need something like the bog turtle...

FDA Brochure on Turtles

The FDA has put out a brochure on Salmonella infections from turtles. (News source.)

Turtles Confiscated

50 baby Asian softshell turtles were illegally imported into the US by a pet shop, and seized by USFWS. (News source.)

Multi-State Herp Bust

Canada and NY are pushing the p.r. on a recent illegal reptile trade bust; other state's efforts (like Pennsylvania) will probably follow soon. Aspects include smuggling massasaugas across the Canadian border, selling eastern box turtles online, and selling wild-collected snapping turtles from New York to a turtle farm in Louisiana where they were shipped to Asia mixed in with legally farmed turtles. But, of course, the publicity will focus on the "unnatural" aspects of keeping reptiles in general, the "lucrative" and implied widespread business of poaching native species, etc., rather than the very small number of people involved when considering the reptile hobby as a whole.

Details here, here, and here.

Ohio: Two-Headed Turtle

Two Ohio school students found a two-headed turtle during recess. (News source.)

Proposed Florida Turtle Ban

Some info on the proposed ban in Florida regarding commercial harvest of turtles, here.

Two Heads, Six Legs

A small twinned turtle was found in Georgia. (News source.)

Eggs Seized

3000 yellow-spotted river turtle eggs were confiscated by the Colombian navy near the Venezuelan border. (News source.)

Turtle News

Tourists to Bald Head Island, NC, have the option of a "turtle walk," to view nesting sea turtles. (News source.)

A cold front in the Florida Keys is causing sea turtles to get sick. (News source.)

Turtle skulls are being studied for their resilience, for possible technological modeling. (News source.)

Turtle Issues

South Carolina is looking into legislation to protect the native turtle population from being shipped by the thousands overseas. (News source.)

A Pacific sea turtle database is being brought online. (News source.)

3000 tortoises were confiscated by Indian officials, when they were discovered being smuggled out of Uttar Pradesh. (News source.)

Customs officers at Atlanta's airport seized illegal (CITES) turtle meat and eggs from a passenger. Species not mentioned, but perhaps sea turtle? (News source.)

Fossil Arctic Turtle

A freshwater turtle fossil has been found in the Arctic. (News source.)

And, there's a debate over the origin of the turtle shell in Nature.

Herp-Related Salmonella

Four cases of reptile (turtle) related salmonella were reported from Lewis and Clark County, Montana, last year. (News source.)

[So don't slather your turtles in peanut butter...]

Chelonian Conservation

A discussion here on the $$$ spent on conservation efforts for the desert tortoise in Utah.

Cambodian wildlife officials are trying to pay locals not to disturb the eggs of nesting Cantor's soft-shell turtles. (News source.)

Malayan Box Turtles Endangered by Smuggling

Illegal export of Malayan box turtles continue to threaten their natural populations. (News source.)

Goats for Turtles

MD F&W are using goats to help keep bog turtle habitat free from overgrowth. (News source.)

Turtle Arrest

An Indiana man arrested for selling native turtles claims it was a misunderstanding. (News source.)

Turtle Tricks

Florida the three-toed box turtle helps kids face their fears... (News source.)

Turtle Fights Back, and Other News

A chef in Hong Kong was bitten on the toe by a softshell turtle as it tried to escape. The chef was hospitalized, and the turtle was returned to a cage for later cooking. (News source.)

Profile here on a Florida turtle hunter facing possible restrictions on the trade there. (News source.)

Two Iowa men were charged with poaching turtles. (News source.)

Turtle Seizure

87 painted turtles were confiscated when they were shipped into the European Union without proper paperwork, where they require a permit. (News source.)

Herp Legality

Officials (in India, I think) seized poached monitor lizards. (News source.)

Indian officials also seized 200 poached tortoises. (News source.)

Malaysian officials seized 10,000 poached turtle eggs. (Well, not poached like that...) (News source.)

A Utah man faces DWR in court over a number of rubber boas that were seized and died in DWR hands. (News source.)

Turtle Ruling

An article here on the new Florida limitations on fishing for soft-shelled turtles.

2-Headed Turtle Stolen

Another two-headed turtle has been stolen, this one from a Canadian pet shop. (News source.)

[Update: Turtle returned.]

Turtle Troubles

A man was sentenced for purchasing an illegally poached sea turtle for meat in the Caymans. (News source.)

A New Zealand animal rescue is running out of room for injured animals because of the number of turtles being dropped off -- the owners claim they never knew the turtles would grow. (News source.)

Turtle News

Mississippi researchers are studying the diamondback terrapin. (News source.)

The AVMA has an interesting article on the 4-inch turtle law debate. (News source.)

Lucky Red-Ear

Anywhere else, a hit-by-car red-eared slider would be considered an unwelcome invasive, but a lucky turtle in New Zealand got patched up by a vet. (News source.)

Turtles and Tortoises

Arizona Game & Fish is looking for people to adopt desert tortoises. (News source.)

Florida FWC is in the middle of a debate over their position regarding freshwater turtle harvesting. (News source.)

Here is a study on loggerhead sea turtle mortality off Baja California.

Nepali Turtle Scam

A strange scam involving turtle worship in order to get rich has broken out in Mysore, India, near Nepal. (News source.)

Herp Conservation News

Weather conditions this year were beneficial for the successful breeding of the endangered Mississippi gopher frog. (News source.)

Thailand wildlife officers seized 200 monitor lizards being smuggled out to the illegal food markets. (News source.)

North Carolina bought 40 acres to preserve as bog turtle habitat. (News source.)

Turtle Breeding

An Arkansas turtle farm is doing well in its business. (News source.)

An attempt to breed Yangtze giant soft-shell turtles at a Chinese zoo has failed. (News source.)

Smugglers Caught

Malaysian officials confiscated 3000 turtle eggs being smuggled into the country. (News source.)

Turtles & Salmonella

Another article here on the salmonella outbreak in Southern California and the implication of turtles as a vector.

Snapper Relocation

The story here of an alligator snapper retiring to a turtle farm.

Turtles

Hurricane Gustav didn't do sea turtle nests in the Gulf of Mexico any favors. (News source.)

Poachers are targeting Sumatran turtles. (News source.)

A sea turtle conservation center off the Bali coast is trying to educate fishermen who otherwise catch and sell sea turtles. (News source.)

Herp Regs

Florida thinks about cracking down on turtle harvesting. (News source.)

California has to consider whether the California tiger salamander should be considered endangered. (News source.)

Turtle Tampering

There's a warning for mainland Chinese soft-shell turtle buyers, to be careful of "adulterated" (water-injected) turtles, pumped up to increase their weight (and price).

Turtle News

A fossil turtle was found to be pregnant... (News source.)

Bermuda is issuing a coin with a Hawksbill turtle on it. (News source.)

Conjoined Turtles

A woman is raising up a pair of conjoined yellow-belly sliders. (News source.)

Two-Headed Turtle Theft

Not long after publicity started about a small two-headed turtle on display in NY, someone snatched it. (News source.)

Conservation News

Soft-shelled turtles are making a comeback in the Thames River, Ontario, Canada. (News source.)

An introduced population of pool frogs in Norfolk, UK, have been given special protection. (News source.)

Turtle News

Indian star tortoises continue to be a prime target for smugglers. (News source.)

Politicians and scientists are arguing over the best plan for the eastern spiny soft-shell turtle in Lake Champlain. (News source.)

Turtle News

The oldest known Fly River turtle turned 50. (News source.)

Significant leatherback sea turtle nesting sites have been found in the Caribbean. (News source.)

Turtle Helps Police

NPS employees followed a GPS-outfitted box turtle to a marijuana crop at Rock Creek Park. (News source.)

Dead Turtles

Sea turtles killed by fishing nets (probably) have been washing up on Mexico beaches. (News source.)

And, an adult snapping turtle found near Corvalis, Oregon, was decapitated by ODFW when they couldn't find a home for her. (News source.)

What Not To Do (With a Snapping Turtle)

Don't do this.

Parasites Continue to Kill

An infestation of bristleworms continues to kill Australian chelonians. (News source.)

Invasive Snappers

The introduced snapping turtle is spreading in Oregon. (News source.)

Turtle News

Blanding's turtles were released into the wild in Nova Scotia. (News source.)

Strictly Reptiles is in trouble again, this time for selling undersized turtles. (News source.)

Poached tortoises were confiscated in Malaysia. (News source.)

Turtle Eggs Poached

Brunei officials seized 2900 turtle eggs poached and smuggled in from another country. (News source.)

Turtle Rehabbing

A profile here on some Louisiana turtle rehabilitators.

Turtle Debate

There's some argument over the number of turtles in Georgia (between preservationists and trappers), and the best steps to protect future generations of turtles. (News source.)

Snapper Conservation

90 juvenile alligator snapping turtles were reintroduced into an Oklahoma river. (News source.)

Turtle Egg Smuggling

Brunei Customs confiscated 8500 turtle eggs that were being smuggled into the country. (News source.)

Turtle Release

Captive-reared northern red-bellied cooters were released into Massachusetts waters in a "head-start" program for the endangered subspecies. (News source.)

Crocodiles in the New

Nesting season in India leads to aggressive crocs... (News source.)

An interesting pic, a saltwater croc munching on a pig-nosed turtle in Kakadu. (News source.)

Two New Books

Georgia herpetologists have published two new books of interest:

Amphibians and Reptiles of Georgia (University of Georgia Press)
Turtles of the Southeast (University of Georgia Press)

(News source.)

Turtle Rescuing is Hazardous

A Baltimore, Maryland, man who has been rescuing box turtles from roads for decades has been busted by DNR. (News source.)

A woman who rescued a nesting sea turtle from two poachers on St. Maarten was attacked and seriously injured by the two men later. (News source.)

Big Snapper

An 87-lb snapping turtle was caught in a North Carolina pond. (News source.)

Oklahoma Ban

Oklahoma has put in place a 3-year moratorium on commercial turtle harvesting in order to study the effect on their native turtles. (News source.)

Zoo Breeding

Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in India has bred Indian painted roof turtles. (News source.)

Northern Territory Wildlife Park has bred a pair of death adders, resulting in a 25 baby litter. (News source.)

Turtle Poaching

Missouri game officers arrested several men for poaching turtles. (News source.)

Egg Poacher Caught

Malaysian police caught a man trying to sell 300 illegal turtle eggs. (News source.)

Vietnam Turtle Controversial

A Vietnamese biologist contends that recent reports of the rediscovery of Rafetus swinhoei in the wild (by US zoo researchers) is not conclusive, and better evidence needs to be offered -- not just a picture. (News source.)

Zoo Rediscovers Turtle

From the announcement:

"Cleveland Metroparks Zoo today announced the discovery of a critically endangered turtle in northern Vietnam that previously was thought to be extinct in the wild. Experts from the Zoo's Asian Turtle Program confirmed they have identified the only known living specimen of a Swinhoe's soft-shell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) in nature.
"After three years of searching, Zoo-sponsored researchers focused on a lake just west of Hanoi after residents reported spotting the gigantic turtle there. Field biologists, along with Education for Nature in Vietnam, found and photographed the turtle, allowing scientists to verify it was the rare Swinhoe's soft-shell turtle, which is considered a national treasure in Vietnam."

Snapper Soup

For ideas on making a better snapping turtle soup...

Turtle Politics in Vermont

Controversy brews as biologists disagree with the F&W commissioner's recovery plan for the eastern spiny softshell turtle. (News source.)

Australian Turtle Parasite

Murray River freshwater turtles are dying from infestations of a marine bristle worm. (News source.)

Turtle Hunting Pressure

Because of increasing pressure on wild turtle populations from hunters for the Asian meat market, environmental groups are asking Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, and Texas to stop commercial turtle harvesting. Here's an article on the Oklahoma figures.

Maryland DNR Regs Updated

From the Press Release:

"Today, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced changes to the existing Reptile and Amphibian Possession and Permit regulations. The changes, effective immediately, add six aquatic turtles to the list of regulated species and create a permitted exception for breeding captive turtles with a permit. Aquatic turtles added to the list of regulated species include: eastern painted turtle, midland painted turtle, eastern mud turtle, northern red-bellied cooter, stinkpot, and diamond-backed terrapin." ...
"In 2007, Maryland prohibited commercial take of diamond-backed terrapins. The new regulations formally adopt that legislative change. Diamond-backed terrapins, like the other aquatic turtles listed above, may be bred in captivity with a permit from DNR.
"An individual may take and possess one turtle from each of the species listed. Those animals may be taken from the wild and possessed without a permit but may not be commercially traded or sold. As a result of these regulations, commercial harvest of any aquatic turtle (except snapping turtle) is now prohibited. The new regulations will allow a person with a reptile and amphibian permit from DNR to breed turtles in captivity and possess turtles less-than four inches in length."

Smokin' Turtle

A Chinese man has taught his pet turtle to smoke cigarettes... (News source.)

Turtle Collector Wants Collection Back

After being cleared of charges by a jury, a Georgia turtle collector wants his collection back, but Georgia DNR officials aren't budging yet. (News source.)

[Any investigative authors out there, this story of corrupt wildlife officers, wildlife ownership controversy, and sour grapes in officialdom would make a good book.]

Colorado's Official Reptile

The western painted turtle is now Colorado's state reptile. (News source.)

Push for SC Turtle Regs

Turtles aren't a protected game species in South Carolina, and some conservationists are pushing for regulations, thinking the species are being exploited for the foreign food markets. (News source.)

Malaysia: Just Say No to Turtle Eggs

The Turtle Research and Rehabilitation Group at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu has launched a campaign to get 1 million Malaysians to pledge not to eat terrapin or turtle eggs for the rest of their life. (News source.)

Cambodian Turtle Rescue

150+ "threatened" turtles were rescued from Cambodian fishermen. They were caught for food. Species was not given, but I suspect sea turtles... (News source.)

CDC Report on Turtle Salmonella

The CDC is fighting back against proposals to allow turtle sales, recently releasing a report that points to turtles being responsible for illness in 33 states. (News source.)

Bullfrogs in Oregon

Here's another article on the non-native bullfrog's impact on other species in Oregon. (News source.)

And on a similar topic, because bullfrogs are eating so many baby western painted turtles in Oregon, there are plans to raise the turtles in captivity for release after they are too big to be eaten. (News source.)