That Reptile Blog – Reptile, Amphibian and Exotic Pet Care and Information

This article covers the care of several native reptiles that often live in close proximity to people.  As a result, they sometimes wind up in yards, basements, window wells and other such places.  Most are also seen in pet stores.  Often, folks are tempted to keep such reptiles as pets, especially when the “finder” is a child.  The following information will give you an idea of what is involved in their care; please see the articles linked below for more detailed information, and post any questions you may have.  If you find an injured animal, or wish to learn how to become a wildlife rehabilitator, please see this article.

It is important to understand that captive-born specimens make far better pets than wild individuals, and that many species are protected by law, and we do not recommend taking wild animals from their native habitat and into your home.  Snakes should never be approached unless you have the training and experience to distinguish venomous from harmless species. Read More »

Stories concerning immense Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) abound wherever this impressive reptile occurs, but most are difficult to substantiate.  I’ve kept and observed this species from childhood.  Once I embarked upon a career in herpetology, I had the good fortune of meeting a great many impressive Snapping Turtles and Snapping Turtle researchers, and was able to gather information on some true giants (I’ve encountered fewer Alligator Snapping Turtles, but one under my care weighed 206 pounds!).  Today I’ll highlight some interesting facts and figures concerning larger-than-average snappers.  I’d also like to draw your attention to a late-breaking threat to their survival.  Sadly, a bill currently before the NYS Assembly will, if passed, allow commercial trapping of this magnificent animal.  Please see below for further information, and check out this posting by turtle conservationist Allen Salzberg (scroll down to “Snapping Turtles under Attack”) for information on how to register your opposition to this ill-advised legislation.

Record-Sized Snappers

The largest Snapping Turtle I’ve handled tipped the scales at 68 pounds, and added more weight over time (please see photo).  Its “straight line” carapace length was 18.6 inches (“straight line” means that the measurement was taken via calipers, as is done for published accounts; stretching a tape measure over the shell’s curve adds to the measurement).  The largest wild-caught individual appears to be a 22 inch-long 76.5 pound behemoth captured in New Hampshire (most record-sized Snappers and Alligator Snappers originate from the northern part of the range).  Turtles artificially fattened in captivity, such as the 82-86 pound animal frequently cited in field guides, are known.

How Common are Giant Snapping Turtles?

I gleaned the following information from conversations with colleagues and various reports.  The turtles involved were collected in the northeastern USA, for the commercial food market, over a 28-year period ending in the early 1990’s. Read More »

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 »

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 »

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 »