TSA Magazine Archives
Download back issues of Turtle Survival, the TSA's annual publication, below. Members receive the full-color magazine each year, as a benefit of their membership in the TSA. To purchase print copies of back issues, visit our STORE!
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About Turtle Survival Alliance
The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) was formed in 2001 as an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) partnership for sustainable captive management of freshwater turtles and tortoises, and initially designated a Task Force of the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. The TSA arose in response to the rampant and unsustainable harvest of Asian turtle populations to supply Chinese markets, a situation known as the Asian Turtle Crisis.
Since forming, the TSA has become recognized as a global force for turtle conservation, capable of taking swift and decisive action on behalf of critically endangered turtles and tortoises. Although the TSA was organized in response to the Asian Turtle Crisis, the group has been expanded as our understanding of the scope of turtle and tortoise declines has become better understood. The TSA has been particularly involved in recovery efforts where a managed breeding component is part of an overall survival strategy. The TSA employs a comprehensive strategy for evaluating the most critically endangered chelonians that identifies whether a species is prioritized for a captive program or through range country efforts, or a combination of both.
In the past 13 years, TSA secured nonprofit 501(c)(3) status (2005) and has centralized its base operations in South Carolina by opening the Turtle Survival Center (2013). The Turtle Survival Center, which now has AZA certification (2018), is home to a collection of more than 700 turtles and tortoises, representing 30 of the world’s critically endangered species. The TSA has also grown internationally, with significant field projects or programs in Madagascar, Myanmar and India, and additional projects in Belize, Colombia, and throughout Asia.
Today, the TSA is an action-oriented global partnership, focusing on species that are at high risk of extinction, and working in turtle diversity hotspots around the world. Widely recognized as a global catalyst for turtle conservation based on its reputation for swift and decisive action, the TSA has made a bold commitment to zero turtle extinctions in the 21st Century. The TSA is a recognized force for turtle conservation globally. TSA’s conservation actions utilize a three-pronged approach:
1. Restoring populations in the wild where possible;
2. Securing species in captivity through assurance colonies; and
3. Building the capacity to restore, secure and conserve species within their range country.
Central American Wood Turtle
Tampa Bay
Turtle & Tortoise
Society, Inc.
Anderson’s Flapshell Turtle
Monthly Newsletter
January 2021 Issue
Meeting Date: January 9, 2021, starts at 7:00pm.
Guest speaker: Mark Illum on how he built his ponds and the filter media he used. We are still
doing a Zoom meetings at this time. Ralph will send everyone the sign-in and password as the time
draws near and is for current members only at this time.
Misc Notes
Please update your email information with Ralph Till at rascal1843@aol.com. We only use this
information for club business and it helps for club members to stay up to date on any last minutes
changes that may occur. It will also help ensure that you receive your electronic copy of our
monthly newsletter.
If you would like to submit an article or pictures to be published in the next upcoming newsletter,
please email it to Kim at sparty@tampabay.rr.com. Please submit by the end of the month to be
published in the next month’s newsletter.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any of the officers listed below:
Elected & Appointed Officers
President - Ralph Till
727-515-7443 Rascal1843@aol.com
Vice President – Mark Randall
20smoke@mindspring.com
Treasurer/Membership - Ralph Till
727-515-7443 Rascal1843@aol.com
Secretary/Public Relations - Kim Illum
sparty@tampabay.rr.com
Newsletter Editor – Mark & Kim Illum
sparty@tampabay.rr.com
Facebook Coordinator – Ralph, Mark R & Kim
https://www.facebook.com/groups/704741876316303/
New Website under construction:
http://www.tbtts.org/
RALPH'S RAMBLINGS
Hello Everyone,
Well it looks as if we made it thru 2020, despite the issues caused by covid-19. Unfortunately it still
lingers, and we're really not sure what to expect in the immediate future. Hopefully everyone is doing
ok, and were not affected too much.
2020 saw us cancel meetings, our auction, conferences and many other social gatherings. It did
however, show us that we could still connect thru social media and our monthly meetings via Zoom
proved to be quite popular.
We'll continue to meet via Zoom for the foreseeable future, as the restrictions at Moccasin Lake Nature
Park have not changed. Again, I would love to see all of our members contribute either by doing a
presentation of their favorite turtle/tortoise setups or perhaps just sharing with us why you chose the
particular species that you did. Remember that we "ALL" learn something from someone else's
experiences. We would gladly assist you with anything that may be needed.
I'm looking for one or two hatchling Florida yellow belly, red belly turtles for the big tank in the
interpretive center. The current residents are getting to large and will be moved to the pond soon.
Remember that this is your Society, the more input from the membership the better we become.
Regards,
Ralph Till
Rascal1843@aol.com
Upcoming Club Speakers
February 13, 2021 – TBD
March 13, 2021 – TBD
April 10, 2021 – TBD
May 8, 2021 – TBD
June 12, 2021 – TBD
July 10, 2021 – TBD
August 14, 2021 – TBD
September 11, 2021 – No speaker, this is our annual auction - pending
October 9, 2021 – TBD
November 13, 2021 – No guest speaker, this is our annual election night (current members only)
December 11, 2021 – No guest speaker, our annual Christmas party (current members only)
NOTE: If you would be interested in doing a talk, pls contact Ralph Till at Rascal1843@aol.com for
additional information.
Upcoming Club Events
Upcoming reptile shows
Repticon Orlando – December 5th & 6th 2020
Repticon Orlando – January 23rd & 24th 2021
Repticon Tampa – February 27th & 28th 2021 – volunteers needed
Repticon Kissimmee – April 17th & 18th 2021
Repticon Tampa – June 12th & 13th 2021 – volunteers needed
Repticon Orlando – July 17th & 18th 2021
Daytona National Reptile Breeders Expo – August 19th – 21st 2021
Repticon FIRE show – TBA
Repticon Kissimmee – September 25th & 26th 2021
Repticon Tampa – November 13th & 14th 2021 – volunteers needed
Repticon Orlando – December 4th & 5th 2021
Turtles/Tortoises Videos
Tortoise Is Really Into Spa Day. Rescue tortoise gets a shell massage and his face is pure bliss
https://www.facebook.com/thedodosite/videos/2752415971699162
Box Turtle get a new set of wheel after loosing back legs:
https://www.facebook.com/ABCNews/posts/10160549414173812
Pig-nosed Turtles Born at Crocosaurus Cove:
https://www.facebook.com/Crocosaurus.Cove/videos/2148911098469391
Turtles/Tortoises in the News
Extremely rare" 350-pound loggerhead among 150 cold-stunned turtles rescued from Cape Cod beach:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/350-pound-loggerhead-turtle-cold-stunned-rescue-cape-cod-
beach/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6i&linkId=105343157&fbclid=IwAR3eJsv-
1yH5m3O8oBqoRqB_2Ao9xBgr_86Ef7kpnpbNxLxEFx1ijBF5OeE
Rare tine albino turtles:
https://awesomejelly.com/albino-turtles/
Lots of suspects but few leads in mystery sea turtle deaths in Sri Lanka:
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/10/lots-of-suspects-but-few-leads-in-mystery-sea-turtle-deaths-in-
sri-lanka/
Kidz Korner
Turtle/Tortoise Tender Tales (rescue stories)
This rescue story is brought to you from Turtle Rescue USA with help from Swamp Girl Adventures:
I took in 6 box turtles several months back from a couple who was living in an RV with their 6 box
turtles. The pics above of the wood boxes, measured 8” wide x 12” long were their homes. Each
enclosure contained a whole potatoe, a piece of paper and a towel (not really sure why). This is
how they lived as they traveled all over the US with their previous owners.
All of the boxies had very over grown beaks and nails that needed to be trimmed up.
I reached out to Kim with Swamp Girl Adventures Reptile Rehabilitation for some help as this was
above my experience dealing with beaks this bad. They reminded me of platypus’s. All 6 went to
Swamp Girl Adventures Reptile Rehabilitation the same day they were surrendered to me.
They were there for a few weeks where they got a good scrubbing to clean up their shells, and the
trimmings done.
Once all the boxies were cleaned up and ready to go, they all came back to me for me to find them
their new homes.
Before
After
Rags to Riches (note the enclosure had stuff added to it since these pics were taken. I
told the adopter to leave it a little bare for observation for a little while)
Regards, Kim
Turtle Rescue USA/ Central Florida Wildlife Center
Please visit our website to see more of the rehabs we currently have or if you may need additional
information about re-homing/adopting a future pet, please visit: http://www.turtlerescueusa.com
Also like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/turtlerescueusa/
With a huge thanks for helping to:
Kim & Crew w/ Swamp Girl Adventures Reptile Rehabilitation
To see more of the rehabs we currently have and some out the out reach programs we done, please visit:
http://www.swampgirladventures.org/
Also like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwampGirlAdventures/
Classified Section
You may place your animals, items, services that you have for sale in the club’s newsletter. Ads will
run month to month and you must renew it for every month that you would like. Ads are free to up
to date/paid members, or $5.00 per month ($8.00 for 2 months) for non-members.
Adoptions
Looking to re-home out your reptile? Place a free ad for any reptile that you are looking to adopt
out (free ads are for reptiles which does NOT have a re-homing fee).
Advertising Rates
1/8th Page = $8 per issue or $75 per year (savings of $21).
1/4th Page = $11 per issue or $100 per year (savings of $32).
1/2 Page = $16 per issue or $150 per year (savings of $42).
Full Page = $25 per issue or $225 per year (savings of $75).
Pricing includes art/graphics/color, however you send the advertisement will be published in our
electronic newsletter.
Please email over the Classified/Adoptions/Advertisement info by the end of the month to: Kim at
sparty@tampabay.rr.com
All payments for advertisements should be sent directly to:
Moccasin Lake Nature Park
c/o Tampa Bay Turtle & Tortoise Society, Inc.
2750 Park Trail Ln.
Clearwater, FL 33759
Other Herp Societies
The Turtle & Tortoise Club of Florida – Orlando Chapter
Meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7pm
Location: Oakland Nature Preserve, 747 Machete Trail, Oakland, FL 34787
Suncoast Herpetological Society Inc.
website: http://www.kingsnake.com/suncoastherpsociety/SHSHome.htm
meets on the 4th Saturday of the month at 6:00pm.
Location: Moccasin Lake Nature Park 2750 Park Trail Ln. Clearwater, FL 33759
Central Florida Herpetological Society
website: Centralfloridaherpsociety.org
meets on the 4th Sunday of every other month at 2:00 PM but you want to be there between 1:00 -
1:30 PM for parking
Location: Orlando Public Library, Downtown Branch, Anderson Room 3rd Floor, 101 East Central
Blvd Orlando, FL 32801
Calusa Herpetological Society
website: calusaherp.org
meets on the first Thursday at 7:00 PM
Location: In the Iona house at the Calusa Nature Center
Jacksonville Herpetological Society
website: jaxherp.tripod.com
meets first Wednesday of every month at 7:30 PM
Location: Museum of Science and History (MOSH), Museum circle, Jacksonville, FL
Membership and Newsletter subscription form
Annual membership fee: $20.00 per year, and the membership includes:
- Electronic Monthly newsletter sent to your email address
- Free Classified’s in newsletter (members only) as well as low cost
advertisement rates.
- Annual Auction, Christmas Party, and Office Elections
- Monthly Meetings in an indoor classroom setting that consists of the
following:
- Different guest speaker each month
- Raffle Prizes
- Info about upcoming events/reptile shows/field trips/etc..
Date/Time: Meets the 2nd Saturday of every month at 7:00pm
Meeting Address: Moccasin Lake Nature Park 2750 Park Trail Ln.
Clearwater, FL 33759
NEW: We now accept PayPal for membership fees: president@tbtts.org
Complete the form below and bring it with you to the next upcoming meeting
or mail it along with payment to:
Moccasin Lake Nature Park
c/o Tampa Bay Turtle & Tortoise Society, Inc.
2750 Park Trail Ln.
Clearwater, FL 33759
Check one:
_______ New Membership _______ Membership Renewal
Name: _________________________________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zipcode: ___________________________________________________________________
Email: _______________________________________ Phone#: ________________________________
NOTE: We would never sell or trade your information. This information is strictly for club use only.
Answer Key