Amboina Box Turtle (Cuora amboinensis) Burmese Star Tortoise Tampa Bay Turtle & Tortoise Society, Inc. Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Concentric Diamondback Terrapin Monthly Newsletter August 2019 Issue Date: August 10th 2019, starts at 7:00pm. Guest speaker: Jordan Donini on The Natural History and Reproductive Biology of Diamondback Terrapins. Jordan grew up in Southwest Florida and began keeping and working with reptiles from a very early age. He attended FGCU and received a bachelor’s in biology with focus on organismal biology. He also worked at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel Island for several years before attaining a master’s degree in biology at Southeastern Louisiana University. Currently he is a Professor of Biology at Florida Southwestern State College in Naples, Florida. His research focuses on reproductive biology and physiology in turtles, with major emphasis on Diamondback Terrapins, Box Turtles, Mud Turtles, Gopher Tortoises, and Chicken Turtles. Diamondback Terrapins have an interesting and variable life history, living in coastal environments from the Texas Gulf, up though the Northeastern United states. In this talk we’ll discuss a little about their life history, their reproductive biology, and their role in human history itself, along with my personal experiences with their reproductive physiology with some interesting notes from the field. 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 - Ralph Till 727-515-7443 Rascal1843@aol.com Secretary/Memberships/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/TBTTS New Website under construction: http://www.tbtts.org/ Note from the Newsletter Editor Hi Everyone, Our website is still under construction and I would like to start adding some stuff to it. Here are a few things I was thinking about adding: 1) Native Turtles & Tortoises – if anyone is out and about taking pictures or has pictures of any of our native turtles & tortoise, pls send them to me. 2) Edible plant list 3) Local wildlife rescue centers or a Veterinarian’s office that treats exotics by county – if anyone has a vet’s office that you go to, pls email me over their contact info (name, address, & phone number). Would there be anyone else who would be willing to help get this info on our website? Also, any other suggestions or comments? Thanks, Kim Illum sparty@tampabay.rr.com RALPH'S RAMBLINGS Hello Everyone. Gosh! One week it's 95 degrees plus, and the next week we have a foot of rain. Hopefully everyone kept their animals safe and secure. Remember that they are in our care so it's imperative that we do what is needed to ensure their safety, especially the ones kept outdoors. I was super impressed with our speaker last month. Adam Ermerick of Articulate Reptiles gave a rather stimulating and detailed presentation on the processes needed to create his skeletal re-creations. Who knew that someone would maintain a large group of working beetles just to clean bones. Amazing! The National Reptile Breeders Expo in Daytona is coming up in several weeks. August 16-18th. Friday night is Turtle Talks at the Hilton, and Saturday & Sunday are show days at the convention center. It's arguably one of the largest reptile shows in the country, plus a great place to network. Those who attended our last meeting got to see our new club tee shirts. We're making them available to everyone for only $10.00 ea. I ordered multiple sizes, so there should be enough for anyone who wants one. We can always order additional sizes if needed. I think they came out pretty good. This month our speaker is Jordan Donini, a professor of Biology at Florida Southwestern State College. His topic will be: The Natural History and Reproductive Biology of Diamondback Terrapins. This should be an exciting presentation and I anticipate a great turnout. Finally, don't forget that September is our annual auction. I've already been in contact with many of the major suppliers and the items are starting to arrive. If anyone has any thing that they would donate, please do so. Enough for now, see you on August 10 th Ralph Till Rascal1843@aol.com Re-Cap from last month’s meeting Last month’s guest speaker was Adam Emerick with The Articulate Reptile, skeletal taxidermy & display. We learned the different stages for taxidermy (preparation, maceration, degreasing, and structuring) and how the dermestid beetles play a great role with helping cleaning of the skeletons. Upcoming Club Speakers September 14, 2019 – No guest speaker, this is our annual Auction October 12, 2019 – TBA November 9, 2019 – No guest speaker, this is our annual election night (current members only). December 14, 2019 - No guest speaker, our annual Christmas party (current members only). NOTE: Our annual auction is next month. If you have any new or gently used turtle related items that you would like to donate for our auction, please bring them with you on our auction night. If you are unable to come that night but do have items that you would like to donate, you can bring them with you to the August meeting. Upcoming Club Events Upcoming reptile shows Daytona National Reptile Breeders Expo – August 16th – 18th 2019 Repticon FIRE show – September 7th & 8th 2019 Repticon New Port Richey – September 21st & 22nd 2019 Repticon Kissimmee – October 12th & 13th 2019 Repticon Tampa – November 9th & 10th 2019– volunteers needed Repticon Orlando – December 7th & 8th 2019 Please stay tune for other events/field trips that we are working on. NOTE: If you would be interested in doing a talk, pls contact Ralph Till at Rascal1843@aol.com for additional information. Turtle/Tortoise Videos Tortoise shellabrates his birthday: https://www.facebook.com/KATVChannel7/videos/1146630812191371/?v=1146630812191371 Baby sea turtle tries to eat go-pro:: https://www.facebook.com/1920270791534312/videos/333578594222928/?v=3335785942229 28 Turtles/Tortoises in the News An innovative underpass keeps turtles from being roadkill: https://www.wpr.org/innovative-underpass-keeps-turtles-highway-its-saved-dozens-becoming- roadkill?fbclid=IwAR1qwG9TPmX1FpPGikyf_jEKOoXRugUS4XgncrIT3sG7H6dIbz4X5Uja1TE Jonathan, the 187 year old tortoise: http://justsomething.co/this-is-jonathan-the-187-year-old-tortoise-photographed-in-1886-and- today/?fbclid=IwAR1gR_TnN5H2gq3Kdi7M54-kckzlZ47xEFuTEYwahlqeXSxDnRPjP3mY3q8 90 year old tortoise gets a new set of wheels: https://www.buzznick.com/tortoise-outfitted-with- wheels/?utm_source=sharebuttons&fbclid=IwAR0m2ycjun8kC0AEUMVgT6zcW8fCf7UpMg6sUImUw VPcfrYK4TPm58-tQB8 Kidz Korner Turtle/Tortoise Tender Tales (rescue stories) This rescue story is brought to you from Central Florida Wildlife Center: Nina the day we got her 2014 Nina enjoying mud time 2016 Nina at Christmas 2015 Nina hiding in plants As a turtle and tortoise rescue it’s not uncommon for our organization to receive calls to rehome captive tortoises owners can no longer keep. One particular call is still fresh in my mind. Our organization received a call about a red foot tortoise that was kept as a class room pet for several years. The class room tortoise was in the Tampa area and our own Kim Illum went to rescue her. Shockingly the tortoise was in horrible condition and crammed into a small aquarium, only a 10 or a 20 gallon tank. There were two of them but one had died before help was sought. The remaining tortoise was pathetic. She had extremely dry skin and horrible disfiguring pyramiding. Her tank was void of any lighting what so ever. She was so mangled and deformed from metabolic bone disease she could not walk only mercifully tried to push herself around with her small weak legs. Kim brought her to me for rehabilitation. She was placed in a proper set up with lots of damp moss and a humidity holding substrate but she still barley moved. We put her on a calcium supplement immediately. The new environment was stressful to her. She would only eat from my hands the first few weeks. I began holding the food farther away from her to encourage movement. It worked! She slowly but surely started to pull herself around better. Within a month she was walking. Although her gait was that of a drunken sailor she was walking! As she got stronger she was moved to an outdoor pen to absorb the sunlight she so desperately needed. She began eating and grazing on her own. It was time to find her a permanent home. After so much neglect and suffering there was only one couple trusted to keep her safe for the rest of her life. Luke and Christy of Mississippi turtle rescue are dear friends of mine. They had recently lost a deformed red foot tortoise who was in similar condition as little Nina. A note from the adopters, Luke and Christy Milbourne: Having had extensive experience with another severely deformed redfoot tortoise, the Central Florida Wildlife Center asked us if we could take in another one that was under their care. We agreed, and adopted Nina in August 2014. To slowly acclimate her to her new home, we introduced her to her new surroundings gradually. For the first fall/winter of her life with us, she was housed in an indoor setup. In the spring of 2015, she was moved to an outside “day only” enclosure during the warm months. She returned inside during the fall/winter of 2015. In the spring of 2016, she was moved outside on a 24/7 basis, and she has done remarkably well. She seems to love being outside and has discovered her favorite natural element on earth is mud. Because of her deformities, she still requires a shallow, gradual-incline water source due to her deformities, but she manages this very well in her outdoor enclosure. Her favorite past times are begging for food, chomping hibiscus, wallowing in mud, and begging for more food. We truly believe she is happy in her new home with us, and we look forward to many new adventures with her. Regards, Amanda Ebenhack 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/pages/Central-Florida-Wildlife-Center-Inc- A-non-profit-501c3-Organization Adopters, Christy and Luke Milbourne Central MS Turtle Rescue 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://centralmsturtlerescue.weebly.com/ Also like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centralmsturtlerescue On 8/16/19: 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM Turtle Talks at the Daytona Hilton Hotel hosted by Turtle & Tortoise Club of Florida (Everyone invited): Speakers at Turtle Night: 7:00 PM - Elliott Jacobson - Biology and development of the Chelonian shell. 8:00 PM - Ivan Alfonso - Breeding of snail eating turtles (Malayemys subtrijuga). 9:00 PM - Paul VanderSchouw - Green hair and spiked collars: the Australian saw-shelled snapper (Myuchelys latisternum). 10:00 PM - Ronny Bakowskie - Turtles for couch potatoes; Keeping and breeding small turtles in Germany On 8/17/19: The National Reptile Breeders Expo is open 10am-5pm. Then 8:00 PM - 12:00 PM Auction at the Daytona Hilton Hotel (top of the escalator). Everyone is invited. On 8/18/19: The National Reptile Breeders Expo is open 10am-5pm. 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 Smelt Feed & Pet Supply has gracefully offered to give us a $15.00 gift certificate each month for our monthly raffle. Stop by their store and see what they have: 4116 East 7th Ave. Tampa, FL 33605 www.smeltfeed.com https://www.facebook.com/SmeltFeed Other Herp Societies The Turtle & Tortoise Club of Florida 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 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