That Reptile Blog That Pet Place Reptile Blog

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  I’ve kept nearly 200 turtle species at home and in zoos, and have studied others in the field, but I none-the-less place the North American Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) in a class by itself.  Alert and active, it has the well-deserved reputation as being among the most responsive (some say “dog-like”) and intelligent of all turtles.  Add to this a beautifully-sculpted carapace and brick-red to bright orange/yellow skin, and it becomes easy to understand their popularity among turtle enthusiasts.  The following information will enable you to meet their unique needs…please post any questions you may have, and be sure to share your own experiences with this most captivating of reptile pets.

Note: Wood Turtle populations have declined drastically.  Please purchase only captive-bred animals, and never take turtles from the wild.

Photo uploaded to Wikipedia bt USGS

Natural History

The North American Wood Turtle ranges from Nova Scotia to Minnesota and Virginia.  They spend a good deal of time in swamps, streams and along river margins, but also forage in fields and open woodlands.

Wood Turtles drive earthworms to the surface with vibrations caused by stomping the front feet and plastron against the ground…the only turtle known to do so.  They seem to do this without prior experience, yet it “seems” like a learned behavior.  Uncovering the origins of this unique hunting strategy would be a fascinating project.

Behavior

Wood Turtles take very well to captivity and quickly learn to “beg’ for food when their owner appears. They seem to exhibit a degree of curiosity and problem-solving abilities not evident in other turtles.  Wood Turtles consistently score higher than others on maze and reward-association tests.

At the Bronx Zoo, I housed a group of adults in a large, tilted cattle trough.  As soon as they saw that I was about to drain the tub’s water section, the turtles would move to the drain, jostling one another to get as close as possible.  As the water flowed by, they would grab bits of leftover food.  Each turtle would also very deliberately peer down into the drain once the tub was empty, apparently to check for missed tidbits.  They checked all angles, and the intensity of their scrutiny seemed quite different from that of most other species. Read More »

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.   Tempted to buy that tiny green turtle being offered for a mere dollar or two?  While Red-Eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) can make an interesting and responsive pets, their care is far more complicated (and expensive!) than most new owners expect.  In perhaps no other animal is the distinction between initial price and long term cost of care so great.  Furthermore, the care guidelines offered by many sellers are often overly-simplified and inaccurate.  Following is a list of everything you’ll need to provide a proper home for Red Eared Sliders and other species with similar lifestyles (i.e. Map, Painted and Side-Necked Turtles, Cooters), along with notes concerning each item.  An in-depth article about Slider care and natural history is posted here.

Do Not Buy Hatchlings!

Although newly-hatched Sliders are still offered for sale, usually at fairs, carnivals and street stalls, it is illegal to sell them (or any turtle less than 4 inches in length) in the USA, and has been since 1975.  The law was enacted by the Food and Drug Administration in response to Salmonella outbreaks linked to hatchlings. For further information on the Salmonella- turtle connection, please see this article.

Because Sliders grow much faster than most owners expect, turtle rescue organizations are swamped with unwanted pets.  Please consider adopting rather than purchasing a turtle; please post below if you need adoption assistance.  Read More »

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  A unique list of species facing imminent extinction was released by the Zoological Society of London at the recent (September, 2012) World Conservation Congress in Jeju, South Korea.  As a former member of several IUCN Species Survival Commissions, I was eager to learn the current thinking on the world’s most threatened creatures.  I’ll summarize below…any opinions you may have concerning “passed over” species would be most appreciated (please post below).

I’ve worked with several animals given the dubious honor of “World’s Rarest”, including the Batagur Turtle and Jamaican Iguana, and was heartened to see that zoos and private individuals are still contributing mightily to their protection.  However, many of listed species are poorly-studied, and draw few supporters.  Unfortunately, two such creatures that I’ve cared for in the past – the Chittenango Ovate Amber Snail and the Tanzanian Spray Toad – are now extinct in the wild. Read More »

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  The beautifully-patterned American Box Turtles (Terrapene spp.) are very popular among reptile enthusiasts worldwide. They are extremely responsive, intelligent, calm, and may live for 60-100 years…what more could a turtle fan want!  Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions concerning their care.  The following information will enable you to meet their needs…please post any specific questions you may have.

Note: Box Turtle populations have declined drastically. In addition to habitat loss and road-kill, many were exported to foreign pet markets when European tortoises were protected by law.  Please purchase only captive-bred animals.

Natural History

Four Box Turtle species – the Eastern, Spotted, Ornate and Coahuilan – range from southern Canada through most of the USA and into Mexico.  Ten uniquely-colored subspecies, including the Florida, Gulf Coast and Yucatan Box Turtles, are also recognized. 

Box Turtles frequent woodlands, marshes, fields, agricultural land, and many other habitats.  Some, such as the Eastern Box Turtle (T. carolina), are largely terrestrial, while Three-Toed Box Turtles (T. carolina triunguis) and others split their time between land and shallow water.  The Coahuilan Box Turtle (T. coahuila), the group’s only truly aquatic member, is found only in Mexico’s Cuatro Cienegas Basin.  Several of my colleagues at the Bronx Zoo studied this species in the wild, and I had the good fortune to work with a breeding group for many years; please look for my future article on this most unique turtle.

Although certain other turtles posses shell hinges that allow the plastron (lower shell) to be drawn up (“like a box”), in no group is this ability so well developed as the American Box Turtles (please see photo). Read More »

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  An accident that caused the deaths of 299 endangered Green Turtles at the Cayman Turtle Farm has raised concerns about the facility’s operation. The incident brought other issues to my mind as well.  I was first inspired by the legendary herpetologist Archie Carr, and have since been involved in several field studies of Green, Leatherback and other marine turtles (please see article below).  I see the value in organizations such as Cayman Turtle Farm, which raises turtles for the food market while also racking up important “firsts” in breeding and research.  However, many disagree with me.  What’s your opinion?  Any comments you may wish to post below would be much appreciated.

Conservation through Commercialization

Whatever your personal feelings concerning the consumption of turtles or other animals may be, it is clear that commercial farming can play a role in conservation. The classic US example is the American Alligator.  Legal protections helped, of course, but large scale breeding for the meat and hide trade made a huge difference in that species’ future.  Read More »