Outreach Event Hosted in Madagascar
by Heather Lowe The TSA team in Madagascar is still waiting on word from the Malagasy Forestry Authority on the legal proceedings surrounding the recent Radiated Tortoise confiscation. In the meantime, they are stretched to the limit in terms of time and resources, caring for the nearly 600 tortoises at the TSA/Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership (MBP) […]
World’s Rarest Tortoises Arrive in the US
by: Heather Lowe A special delivery of some of the world’s rarest reptiles has arrived in the Southeastern United States. Eight critically endangered ploughshare tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora), imported by the TSA, are now residents of Zoo Atlanta and Knoxville Zoo. They may represent the last hope for a species marked for extinction. Widely considered the […]
Northern River Terrapin Nests in Bangladesh
by: Heather Lowe The TSA has been working in Bangladesh, in collaboration with the NGO CARINAM, the Forest Department and the Vienna Zoo, since 2010 to secure an assurance colony for the Northern River Terrapin (Batagur baska), one of Asia’s most threatened large river turtles. After literally scouring markets and private ponds to secure some […]
Grants Received for Star Tortoise Reintroduction
by: Heather Lowe The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF) recently awarded the TSA a $24,800 grant to support a reintroduction program for Burmese star tortoises (Geochelone platynota) in Myanmar. This project is the first step in a larger project with the ultimate goal of reintroducing and establishing a breeding population of star tortoises at a […]
Arrest of Tortoise Poachers Shakes Up Town
by: Herilala Randriamahazo The head of Androy Region in southern Madagascar has given the order to return 272 juvenile Radiated Tortoises to the town of Tsihombe, a well-known hub of tortoise poaching and consumption in the south. On the night of September 22, two dealers left Tsihombe by taxi-brousse and were later arrested by the […]
Turtle Conservation Course Taught in Colombia
by: German Forero-Medina From September 29 to October 8, the Universidad del Valle, in Cali, Colombia, offered a graduate course in natural history and conservation of freshwater turtles and tortoises, with the support from the TSA and other national organizations. In this course students learned techniques to identify and study turtle species in Colombia, the […]
TSA Welcomes the NAFTRG to the Alliance
by: Heather Lowe The United States has nearly 60 species of native turtle, including a variety of aquatic species including river cooters (Pseudemys), sliders (Trachemys), musk (Sternotherus), mud (Kinosternon), softshell (Apalone), and snapping turtles (Chelydra and Macrochelys). Across the country, turtle populations are facing a variety of ecological issues including habitat loss/degradation, water quality, and […]
Turtle Sampling Begins in Texas
by: Eric Munscher The North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group (NAFTRG) sampled the Comal Springs in New Braunfels, Texas for the fourth time (first time in 2013) from February 1-3. Comal Springs is the headwaters to the Comal River and represents a very important ecological region in Texas. Volunteers from SWCA Environmental Consultants, Turtle Survival […]
Turtle Survival Center Hosts its First Volunteer Event
by: Heather Lowe The TSA would like to offer a huge thanks to the volunteers who were able to come out and lend a hand at the Turtle Survival Center on February 9 and 10. Special kudos go out to Jay Allen who served double-duty as a hard working volunteer and as BBQ Master! The […]
Madagascar Tortoise Conservation Expedition
by: Christina Castellano The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) and Utah’s Hogle Zoo (HZ) conducted their latest field expedition in March 2013 as part of the Madagascar Tortoise Conservation Project. The goals of the expedition were to: -Conduct an assessment of last year’s public awareness campaign using survey questionnaires and focus groups; -Distribute new campaign materials […]
Work Continues at the Turtle Survival Center
by: Heather Lowe Another great group of volunteers joined us at the Turtle Survival Center on the weekend of March 2-3 to help get the facility ready for turtles. It was cold and there was some messy clean up work, but everyone hung in there. Special kudos go out to Luke Wyrwich, Brad Moxley and […]
Radiated Tortoise Confiscation Update
by: Heather Lowe The group of radiated tortoises that was confiscated at the Ivato Airport (Madagascar) on October 10 is still being cared for by the staff at the office that the TSA shares with the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership in Antaranarivo. The tortoises (569 total) had been packed into just four suitcases when they were […]
