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The New York Turtle and Tortoise SocietyThe New York Turtle and Tortoise Society, Inc., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the conservation, preservation of habitat, and the promotion of proper husbandry and captive propagation of turtles and tortoises. The Society emphasizes the education of its members and the public in all areas relevant to the appreciation of these unique animals. Donations to the Society are tax deductible and
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TSA to Open Turtle Survival Center in South Carolina  The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) will open a new facility for endangered turtles in South Carolina later this year (see more details in the video below). A capital campaign to support this endeavor will be launched soon, but in the meantime TSA has become a finalist in the Toyota 100 Cars for Good contest. Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program will be awarding 100 vehicles to 100 non-profits over the course of 100 days based on votes from the public. A total of 500 non-profits were selected from more than 4,000 applications nationwide. TSA is hoping to win a new Toyota Tundra to help with the renovations and day-to-day operations of the Turtle Survival Center.
 The New York Turtle and Tortoise Society is proud to support turtle conservation as an organizational member of the Turtle Survival Alliance. The TSA is a finalist in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program. Let’s give them a hand for voting for them on May 18! On that day TSA will be competing with only four other candidates. For more information and to make your pledge to vote, go to www.turtlesurvival.org/get-involved/100-cars-for-good.
 Snapper Day at Cape May Point State Park, July 7Come help us honor on of Cape May County’s oldest and most awesome residents at the First Annual Snapper Day, Saturday, June 7, Noon to 3:00 p.m. Learn about New Jersey’s largest freshwater turtle—the fascinating and ancient snapping turtle. Live snapping turtle demonstrations (including the friendly snapping turtle, Spike, pictured left). Download PDF flyer. Hosted by the Turtle Singer (NYTTS members Karen and Charlie Buckley). See Turtle Singer’s Web site, www.turtlesinger.com.
Professor Russell Burke, Hofstra College, needs volunteers to help with a diamondback terrapin conservation project in May, June, and July. College students may be able to get credit for their assistance. Get a fantastic tan while helping out a species in trouble, get valuable experience with wildlife, and do something for natural world! Volunteers must have their own transportation to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, in Gateway National Recreational Area, accessible by train and bus from NYC. For more information contact: Dr. Russell Burke, Department of Biology, Hofstra University Phone:516-463-5521; E-mail: russell.l.burke@hofstra.edu Read more about Dr. Burke’s work.  The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, New Jersey—home of the Terrapin Conservation Project—is excited to be expanding its community engagement programs and making ecosystem science accessible to everyone. Your involvement supports essential conservation efforts and education programs, spanning the range from youth to senior. Join us and volunteer your time. Download a Wetlands Institute Volunteer Application form (PDF).  “That Reptile Blog” by Frank Indiviglio Frank Indiviglio, former Staten Island Zoo and Bronx Zoo keeper, and long-time friend of NYTTS, writes numerous articles for That Pet Place, especially for That Reptile Blog as well as others. Read Frank’s latest posts: Tortoise Care — Keeping Desert, Forest and Grassland Tortoises Red-Eared Slider, Map and Painted Turtles — Semi-Aquatic Turtle Care Turtle Conservation Update, with a Focus on the USA’s Native Species 
Frank is pictured above with a giant mata-mata (Chelus fimbriata); on the right with an African spurred tortoise (Geolchelone sulcata). See the Index of Frank’s Blog articles. Frank and his 4-year-old nephew Haiden discovered a large snapping turtle in Alpine, New Jersey, in February. See Snapper Active in February. Recommended article: Commercial Foods: Benefits/Uses, Staples/Supplements from theTurtleRoom. The Plight of Frogs and the Impact of the Frog Leg Trade In the USA alone 1.1 billion frogs and in the European Union 2.3 billion frogs are imported for the frog leg trade every year. How long can this level of exploitation be sustained? Read Frank’s shocking article: Frog Leg Trade Kills Billions of Frogs Annually and Threatens Species’ Survival.  Populations worldwide are in serious decline. NYTTS salutes Dr. Kerry Kriger and Save the Frogs for its vital conservation work.In the News 
2 Years Later, Grim Photos From the BP Disaster, Mother Jones, May 7, 2012 — The images were released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request include more than 100 photos from the spill, including many of critically endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles dead and covered in oil.Click image to enlarge.  Stop the Slaughter of U.S. Turtles, Center for Biogical Diversity — Millions of wild-caught freshwater turtles are exported to Asian food and medicinal markets each year. The Center for Biological Diversity is calling for the listing of 17 species of U.S. freshwater turtles by the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).  Turtle Species Get New York Rescue, by Will James, The Wall Street Journal, April 11, 2012 — The Wildlife Conservation Society committed this week to launch an effort to revive turtle and tortoise species on the verge of extinction—some with global populations in the single digits. WCS joins a network of 4,000 zookeepers, scientists, field conservationists and veterinarians in 65 countries to mobilize all of its branches for the turtle effort. See also Turtles on the Brink, on the WCS Web site.Alabama Ends Commercial Harvest of Wild Freshwater Turtles  April 9, 2012: Alabama moved to protect its wealth of diverse, native freshwater turtles when the state’s conservation advisory board voted unanimously to approve emergency regulations banning all commercial collection and killing of wild turtles and their eggs in public and private waters. The new regulations are among the most protective state rules on behalf of native turtles in the southern United States. Snapperfest UpdateThe World Animal Awareness Society has compiled a comprehensive summary of videos and documentation of the efforts to stop the Snapperfest event: Snapperfest Update: January 2012. See Petition Filed to Stop Abuse of Turtles at "Snapperfest" Following Undercover Investigation of Cruelty. Sign petition to protest the event: Stop Snapperfest 2012! Go to the NYTTS page on this abusive festival: NYTTS Snapperfest Report. 
Vietnam’s Legendary Turtle Returned to Hanoi Lake For three months after its capture, the giant softshelled turtle of Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake underwent extensive treatment and rehabilitation while the lake was drained and cleaned. After a remarkable recovery, the turtle was released back into the lake in early June. Go to story and background.  Order Online! — NYTTS bumper stickers and turtle food (Turtle Brittle and AquaMax) can now be ordered online. Payment by credit card through PayPal, or by check. Go to the NYTTS Online Order Form. T-shirts coming soon!Notice to New York City Residents—The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation now has a 24-hour tips line to report violations of protected species regulations. It is prohibited to sell any New York State species of reptiles and amphibians. If you see any New York species for sale in pet shops or markets, please call 1-800-847-7332. Report the name and address of the business, and the animals you observed for sale. Turtle Care Video from the Mid-Atlantic Turtle & Tortoise Society NYTTS Red-eared Slider Adoption Policy Recent NYTTS Meetings and Regional Turtle News Fish and Turtle Rescue in Prospect Park, Brooklyn — For a second time NYTTS members particpated in the Fish and Rescue project in Prospect Park. See description and photo slide show. Seminar 2012 — the 27th NYTTS Annual Seminar, was held in the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park, New York City, on March 10, 2012. Featured speakers included naturalist-artist David M. Carroll, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Bog Turtle Recovery Program Coordinator Alison Whitlock, and Chelonian Institute Director Peter C.H. Pritchard. See photos from this meeting and review speakers and presentations. NYTTS Member Matt Hybel Hatches 47 Asian Brown Tortoises! See story and photos. Remembering Stephanie Thompson ~ July 26, 2011 — Read “Stephanie Thompson — An Appreciation” by Michael Sherwin, a longtime friend and early NYTTS member, as well as a slide show of snapshots. 37th Annual Turtle and Tortoise Show, June 4, 2011 — See Winners’ List. Bern Tryon, Well-known Bog Turtle Scientist, Dies, May 6, 2011 — See obituaries. Urban Wildlife Apprciation Day 2011 — On Saturday, April 7, 2011, NYTTS participated for the second year in the New York City Urban Wildlife Appreciation Day, held on the Cloisters Lawn in Fort Tryon Park. See slide show of the event. Seminar 2011 — the 26th NYTTS Annual Seminar, was held in the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park, New York City. Review speakers and presentations. Papa Tortuga at NYTTS — On February 13, Fernando, affectionately known as “Papa Tortuga” (Father Turtle), and his team from the Tecolutla Turtle Preservation Project, presented a documentary and lecture on Fernando’s many years of work protecting nests and hatchlings. See more of Papa Tortuga at NYTTS. Remembering JoAnn Vacchiano — Longtime NYTTS member and devoted turtle person JoAnn Vachiano passed away on January 20, 2011. See photo and remembrances. 36th Annual Turtle and Tortoise Show, June 12, 2010 — See Winners’ List and Photos. Urban Wildlife Apprciation Day — On , Saturday, April 10, 2010, NYTTS staffed a table with turtles and information for the public at the New York City Urban Wildlife Appreciation Day, held on the Cloisters Lawn in Fort Tryon Park. See slide show of the event. In Memoriam: John Thorbjarnarson, well-known Wildlife Conservation Society herpetologist, died of malaria in India on February 14, 2010. See A Life in Conservation by Chuck Schaffer. Fish and Turtle Rescue in Propect Park — In November 2009, NYTTS volunteers joined the Natural Resounces Crew in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, in their fish and turtle rescue project while a small portion of the northeast end of Prospect Park Lake was drained by the Parks Department in preparation for reconstruction of the shoreline. See more information and slides of that effort. Florida Turtle Tour: Topic of November 1st (2009) meeting: — NYTTS members who participated in turtle biologist George Heinrich’s Florida Turtles Natural History Tour the previous summer shared their experience with slides and stories. See more information and a slide show of the 2009 summer tour. The Asian Turtle Crisis: An Update — Two videos taken 13 years apart show that little changed in the markets in Guangzhou, China, from 1997 to 2009. Compare the videos. Clarifying Regulations in New York State for all Native Species: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation now requires a permit to keep any species of reptile and amphibian native to New York State. This includes all twelve species of New York turtles. The mechanism by which owners of New York turtles may acquire permits is being investigated. Read and download an overview of the new regulations.
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