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Leatherback Sea Turtle Tampa Bay Turtle & Tortoise Society, Inc. Spider Tortoise Monthly Newsletter May 2021 Issue Meeting Date: May 8, 2021, starts at 7:00pm. Guest speaker: Ralph Till will discuss some different techniques used by several different breeders and how they have been successful. 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, I would like to thank Chris Lechowicz from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation for his presentation last month. I found it both informative and enlightening as to the status of turtle and tortoises. The discussion afterwards is always interesting, and this was no exception. We had a meeting of the TBTTS board last week (via zoom) to discuss anything club related. As a 501c3 organization, we look to assist local organizations that the board feels do the most for turtles and tortoises. The list is endless, but it always gravitates back to the endless challenges faced by the groups that do rescue and rehabilitation. We decided that this year, 2021, we'll assist three well known groups: Central Florida Wildlife Center, Inc Turtle Rescue USA Swamp Girl Adventures Each of the above groups makes it their goal to ensure that our turtles and tortoises will have a safe home, despite being overwhelmed at times with animal injuries, surrenders and neglect. The TBTTS Board is thrilled to be in the position to assist these fine groups. Details will follow soon. As for a speaker this month, I will be the guest and am going to discuss some different techniques used by several different breeders and how they have been successful. I'll post the Zoom link in several days. Remember the date, May 10th, 2021 @ 7:00 Since it's inception, I have been the president and treasurer of the TBTTS. It's been both fun and rewarding, but the time has come to step down. I'm comfortable with what I have achieved with the group, but feel that new leadership can take it in a new direction. I'll be 70yrs old in a few months and with covid finally slowing down (I hope) my plan is to enjoy my later years with my wife and do the traveling. I am NOT running for any position and will NOT accept any nomination. My intent is to finish out the year and gladly assist the newly elected with my experiences. Remember that elections are held in November, so there is plenty of time for all to decide. Hopefully we'll be able to have in person meetings by then. Thank you, Ralph Till Rascal1843@aol.com Upcoming Club Speakers 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 – May 1st & 2nd 2021 Repticon Tampa – June 12th & 13th 2021 Repticon Sarasota – June 26th & 27th 2021 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 Repticon Orlando – December 4th & 5th 2021 Turtles/Tortoises Videos Diving with Sea Turtles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWfTBkTJOH8 Rescue Baby turtles get a dream home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfr7CqgeH4c Tracking Giant Galapagos Tortoises: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEp6pkkYOgE Turtles/Tortoises in the News 185 Baby Galapagos Tortoises Seized from Illegal Traffickers: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/29/climate/galapagos-tortoises-smuggling.html?auth=login- google&fbclid=IwAR1xxjlnPxU05V2KraOy0gtxuidWkmyD9JVXBIOuT3xzwGbICMhQp-yKLNQ Baby gopher tortoises sprout in Eckerd greenhouse: http://www.theonlinecurrent.com/science_and_technology/baby-gopher-tortoises-sprout-in- eckerd-greenhouse/article_a928eca6-9090-11eb-b0f6- 3b248d50afe7.html?fbclid=IwAR2N9Lq588EKWE_IKPdcq5CYe0zIaxQiz9Sa44O0C4yOzq659MJO4n _Ijsg Turtles all the way down: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtles_all_the_way_down?fbclid=IwAR3qQiw1-469_5wfFcupFonh- vpe68CEygM_bvH1KETpPMvX8QpgK-E_-P0 Kidz Korner Turtle/Tortoise Tender Tales (rescue stories) This story come from Central Florida Wild Center/Turtle Rescue USA: 2/28/21 3/3/21 3/6/21 3/15/21 3/21/21 3/23/21 This is what healthy poop should look like We had 2 sulcatas that were surrendered on 2/20/21 to Kim. About a week into me having them I noticed that they were not really pooping. I reached out to Amanda to figure out what to do. She had told me to give them some mineral oil and really sop their food with water. A few days later Apollo starting pooping on 2/28/21 and it was like a mud puddle. Turned out he was so impacted with sand and since they both were housed together, it could also mean that Tarzan was impacted as well. Over the next several days I was able to get Apollo to poop more and more. His poop was getting formed better but was still nothing but sand. Tarzan on the other hand still was not. Amanda had sent me a medication to give him to see if that would work better. By now I have gone throw a half bottle of mineral oil and was more nervous by the day. We had decided that he needed to go Amanda for treatment and was scheduled to go to her on 3/6/21. However finally on 3/4/21 he pooped and it was nothing but sand. We still decided that it was best for him to still go to her since I was having such a difficult time getting Tarzan to poop. Now in Amanda’s care: The eyes of this tortoise were so inquisitive and friendly it was love at first site. I attempted to give him an enema but he was just too strong and I was afraid to break his tail. If you give an enema wrong you can pierce their bladder and kill them. So that was out. With a large angry tortoise I decided to hydrate him manually and gave him a large amount of Ic fluids. I let him absorb them and feed him water melon to get the impacted sand loosened up. Still no poop. I knew it was in there because he ate huge amounts of food for several days. Finally I decided to vibrate him with a very powerful massage tool. This did the trick out from the depths of his intestines came pounds of nasty sand and brown fluid. There is no telling how long this had been stuck in him. He had a course of antibiotics for any abrasions causes by the sand. He had another massive offering of pure sand. The fourth time it was comprised of all grasses and weeds. He could have easily died. These tortoises were not being taken care of. We imagine they ate the sand because that is all there was. They are very lucky we got to them in time. All together this 33 pound tortoise passed 4 pounds of solid sand. This is why it is always important to feed them on some type of plate instead of directly on the ground. Regards, Amanda & Kim Central Florida Wild Center/Turtle Rescue USA www.turtlerescueusa.com Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/turtlerescueusa 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
