Anyone Can Volunteer!

by¬†Christine Bowie¬† You don’t have to be a researcher or a biologist to volunteer with the North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group (NAFTRG). Are you a strong swimmer? Don your wetsuit, fins and snorkel for capturing turtles in the water. Do you love turtles and the outdoors, but aren’t crazy about swimming? Volunteer to collect […]

Brewing up Something Special for Turtles

by¬†Christine Bowie¬† The Turtle Survival Alliance recently teamed up with Holy City Brewing Company in a benefit titled, “Drink Beer. Save Turtles.” The event, held during Charleston Beer Week was a tremendous success, raising awareness of the plight of turtles worldwide. The TSA team from the Turtle Survival Center escorted Burmese mountain tortoise “ambassadors” throughout […]

Black Spotted Pond Turtles Released

by¬†Heather Lowe¬† Turtle Survival Alliance‚ÄìIndia along with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department recently released 50 Black Spotted Pond Turtles (Geoclemys hamiltonii) into the Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, one of the many wetlands of Northern India. The turtles were part of a large confiscation effort which resulted in more than 398 Spotted Pond Turtles being returned home […]

Tortoises Rescued in Madagascar

by¬†Christine Bowie¬† The Turtle Survival Alliance was recently called on to assist in the rescue and rehabilitation of 771 critically endangered tortoises, confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade in Madagascar. The seizure, which consisted of Radiated (Astrochelys radiata) and Ploughshare (A. yniphora) Tortoises took place on September 28 when customs officials at the Ivato Airport […]

Tracking Arakan Forest Turtles in Myanmar

by¬†Admin¬† As is often the case, the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Sanctuary (RYER) in Myanmar provides refuge for a number of species beyond elephants. Here, a population of secretive Arakan Forest Turtles (Heosemys depressa) is providing clues to the species natural history that will prove valuable for conservation efforts in the future. Hein Htet Lwin, a […]

No Break for Madagascar’s Tortoises in Sight

by¬†Admin¬† Recently we reported a dramatic spike in poaching of Radiated Tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) in Madagascar. Unfortunately, the smugglers didn’t take a break for the holidays, and on Christmas Day 555 juvenile tortoises were confiscated at the Ivato International Airport in Antananarivo. Four suitcases full of tortoises had passed through the baggage scanner and had […]

Poaching Surges in Madagascar

by¬†Howard Goldstein and Herilala Randriamahazo¬† By the end of 2014, the Turtle Survival Alliance lead conservation initiatives in southern Madagascar were showing sufficient success against the poaching crisis that there was very real reason to announce the cautious hope that the tide was now turning in favor of tortoises. One year later in the final […]

Good News from the Philippines

by¬†Heather Lowe¬† To the TSA’s many supporters, especially those that closely followed the¬†Palawan Forest Turtle confiscation¬†that dominated our summer, I want to share the following “wrap up” summary from Sabine Schoppe of the Katala Foundation. Her report is upbeat and positive: only six turtles remain in care, overall mortality was surprisingly low at 11.5%, and […]

Suspects Arrested in Thailand for Theft of Burmese Tortoises

by¬†Admin¬† Two suspects have been arrested in Thailand in connection with the sale of critically endangered Burmese star tortoises on Facebook, reports the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA). Seven tortoises were confiscated from the home of one of the suspects upon his arrest on December 22 in Khon Khaen Province, in […]

Hicatee Turtle Workshop Held in Belize

by¬†Heather Lowe¬† On February 25-26, 2016, Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education (BFREE) in collaboration with Turtle Survival Alliance, the Belize Fisheries Department, and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens hosted the 2nd Hicatee Conservation Forum and Workshop at the BFREE Field Station in southern Belize. Unique to Belize, Guatemala and Mexico, the Central American […]

Big-headed Turtles Hatch at the TSC

by¬†Heather Lowe¬† Four Big-headed Turtles (Platysternon megacephalum) hatched at the Turtle Survival Center (TSC) in South Carolina in October. The hatching is a marked acheivement for the TSC staff, as the species has historically been difficult to reproduce in captivity. To celebrate the occasion, we are offering TSA members the opportunity to name one of […]

Turtle Surveys Conducted in Comal Springs, Texas

by¬†Admin¬† The North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group (NAFTRG) recently conducted their annual February sample of the Comal Springs in New Braunfels, Texas. As always, a dedicated team of volunteers made the survey possible. A variety of institutions of learning, research, and conservation represented on this survey included the Houston Zoo, SeaWorld, Fort Worth Zoo, […]