Spring Break, TSA-NAFTRG Style

by Jordan Gray This February and March as college students, professors and those just wanting a Spring vacation were making their way to beaches and ski-slopes across the nation, TSA-NAFTRG scientists and volunteers were heading to the freshwater springs of Texas and Florida for a “Spring Turtle Break”. TEXAS Held in New Braunfels, Texas, the […]

Survival in the Sundarbans

by Jordan Gray With each passing year’s arrival of Spring in the Sundarbans, a time of critical importance emerges for the beleaguered Batagur baska, one of the most imperiled species of chelonian on our planet. Listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, the Northern river terrapin has seen dramatic declines throughout its entire range and […]

Species Spotlight Vol. 3

by¬†Jordan Gray¬† TSA Species Spotlight Photo courtesy of Chris Leone, the Turtle Room Spotted pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii) Countries of Origin: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan IUCN Status: Vulnerable Estimated surviving population: Unknown/Declining Habitat: Rivers, ponds, oxbows and flooded forests with high-vegetative cover. Size: Females and Males ‚⧠35 cm Factoid: Spotted pond turtles are primarily […]

Batagur kachuga Confiscation

by¬†Jordan Gray Turtles packed in suitcase for shipment This year’s vernal equinox not only marked the first day of Spring, but also a day of significance for 23 Critically Endangered turtles in India. While it is never a good day when we hear about a confiscation of some of the rarest turtles on the planet, […]

Franklin Electric Partnership

by Chris Clark  Thanks to Franklin Electric for supporting our efforts with their great line of Little Giant pumps! Check out the video below to see how they help us set up habitats for some of the most endangered turtles in the world.

World Turtle Day® 2017

by¬†Jordan Gray¬† For the past 17 years, World Turtle Day®–, begun by the American Tortoise Rescue, has been growing at a steady clip. Conservation groups and citizens alike have used this day to spread awareness and cheer for the 441 taxa of turtles and tortoises that reside across our six temperate continents (sorry Antarctica, not […]

Species Spotlight Vol. 6

by¬†Jordan Gray¬† Female Four-eyed Turtle at the Turtle Survival Center. Photo Credit: Nathan Haislip Male Four-eyed Turtle owned by Steve Enders. Photo Credit: Lisa Enders Four-eyed Turtle (Sacalia quadriocellata) Countries of Origin: People’s Republic of China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Vietnam IUCN Status: Endangered Estimated surviving population: Unknown/Declining Habitat: Streams, brooks, and small pools in […]

Habitats for Hatchling Hicatees

by¬†Jordan Gray A relative newcomer to the TSA scene, PhD candidate Nichole Bishop has been working in collaboration with the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education’s (BFREE) Hicatee Conservation Research Center (HCRC) for the last two years. Through the discipline of Nutritional Ecology, her efforts should help to maximize the captive-husbandry effort and reproductive […]

Species Spotlight Vol. 7

by¬†Jordan Gray¬† Photo by Cris Hagen Impressed Tortoise (Manouria impressa) Countries of Origin: Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam IUCN Status: Vulnerable Estimated surviving population: Unknown/Declining Habitat: Humid, tropical, evergreen, broadleaf and bamboo hill and montane forests up to 1300 m (4,265 ft) elevation. Habits: These tortoises have specialized dietary needs, feeding […]

Interview with volunteer Gail Henrickson

by¬†Chris Clark¬† TURTLE SURVIVAL CENTER: A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH ENDLESS DEDICATION As a full-time RV’er for the past year, the Turtle Survival Center in South Carolina was on my short list of “must see” places. Although I’ve been a TSA member since 2010, I did not have an appreciation for what goes on at the […]

Spotted Pond Turtles hatch at the TSC!

by¬†Jordan Gray¬† The TSA is excited to announce the first-ever hatching of Spotted Pond Turtles (Geoclemys hamiltonii) on 19 July 2017 at our Turtle Survival Center in Cross, South Carolina! The Spotted Pond Turtle is native to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan where they live in rivers, oxbows, ponds, and flooded forests. This species has […]

Asian Spiny Turtle hatches at the TSC!

by¬†Jordan Gray¬† We are excited to announce the hatching of an endangered Asian Spiny Turtle (Heosemys spinosa) on 21 July 2017 at our Turtle Survival Center in Cross, South Carolina! The Spiny Turtle is a semi-aquatic species native to the tropical forests of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Having been subjected to heavy […]