Wed Nov 14, 2007
Spring/Summer 2007
Been a long time since I've given any updates, but I'll try to remember all that's gone on all summer and fall to keep you in the loop, so to speak.
It was a real busy season for all kinds of turtles and tortoises, and fortunately homes were found for all adoptable turtles/torts. I think my last count was something like 36 Sulcata that were placed. I'm sure there were more than those and once I get through all my paperwork I'll have a more accurate number. We had several Sulcata that were dumped at the local ecology site. One in the greenhouse which was probably the worst place for dumping since they use chemicals on their plants; the other was dumped in the field on a cold Friday night after all the staff had left. Luckily security spotted him and called one of them back and they brought the tort here. If he had found his way into the woods surrounding the place he surely never would have survived the winter.
Please, if you have a tortoise or turtle that you can no longer keep, seek help, don't dump it.
Unfortunately as of July 1st new regulation went into effect in Florida and no more Red ear slider turtles are permitted to be shipped into the state as pets. We had one person there with a huge pond that was accepting all that we couldn't find homes for. Now that we can't ship to her any longer, we are forced to turn away many, many RES. If you or someone you know has a large secure pond and can accept even one RES it would be a great thing to do. I hate turning them away as I'm sure many are being dumped, but I just don't have the space here to house any more than I've already taken in. Of course I still take emergency cases like abandoned or hit by car, etc., but no longer can take them from everyone like we used to. I currently have two needing homes, so if interested let me know. A young female approx. 4" and a teeny tiny hatchling.
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Thu Nov 08, 2007
Animal house: Rescuing turtles, finding them homes
Denise Flaim
Animal House
November 8, 2007
Julie Maguire is looking for a few good ponds.
Feral kitties and Labrador retrievers and all those other usual suspects are not the only ones who need rescuing in these precincts. Abandoned and unwanted turtles and tortoises are more common than you might think, which is what prompted Maguire, of Lake Ronkonkoma, to found Turtle Rescue of Long Island (turtlerescues.org - don't forget the "s") in 2004.
Maguire can find good homes for just about any carapaced creature that inches its way across her threshold, with one glaring exception:
The red-eared slider.
Formally known as Trachemys scripta elegans, the semi-aquatic turtle with the red slashes on either side of its head originated in the Southern United States, but its popularity has made it a world traveler. Residing in ponds, lakes and creeks - anywhere the water is fresh and calm - sliders love to bask on rocks or logs, sometimes even atop each other. Their nickname comes from their quick skittering off their basking spot when approached.
Federal law prohibits the sale of tortoises and turtles of less than 4 inches in diameter. (This theoretically is the size at which the animals cannot be placed in a child's mouth, reducing the risk of salmonella transmission, which is always a concern with reptiles.) Still, red-eared sliders are widely available as hatchlings, sold in tourist areas and ethnic neighborhoods such as the metro area's many Chinatowns.
Impossibly cute, sliders grow to be up to a foot long and require lots of room - a 55-gallon tank at minimum. Because they sleep, eat and defecate in their tank water, conditions can get rather, er, ripe, unless owners are assiduous about filtration and cleaning.
Maguire figures she gets three to four calls a week from slider owners looking to relinquish their once-cute charges. The best she can do is put them on a waiting list.
"We are so overwhelmed, we can't take red-eared sliders anymore," says Maguire, who used to ship rescued sliders to Florida - until that state made them illegal earlier this year.
That leaves private local ponds that are securely fenced: Pushy predators, sliders can easily edge out the native terrapin population. The pond also has to be deep enough for the turtles to overwinter.
Adopters are scarce, to say the least. "If I get two people locally per year, I'm lucky," Maguire says, sighing. "I get two or three out-of-state requests, but that's not enough to meet the demand."
While it is illegal to release a captive turtle in the wild, Maguire suspects desperate slider owners are doing just that.
On the subject of difficult-to-place turtles, the sulcata tortoise runs a somewhat close second to the red-eared slider in terms of the numbers that are coming into rescue and the difficulty in placing them.
Native to northern Africa, sulcatas are large grazing turtles that can easily reach 90 pounds and the proportions of a television set. Unable to survive our winters, they must be sheltered indoors roughly half of the year, and their take-no-prisoners approach to home decor has prompted some to eat through drywall.
"They can't be kept in a tank - they need a room," says Maguire, who sends her sulcata rescues to more Southern climes, where they can live outdoors year round.
Whether a sulcata or a slider, most owners had little idea that their saucer-size critter would grow into such a big problem.
"If you're going to buy a tortoise or a turtle, it's a lifetime commitment," Maguire concludes. "They can live 50 to 100 years or more."
Copyright © 2007, Newsday Inc.
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Sun Jun 24, 2007
May & June 2007
Don't know where the time goes, but summer is here and I'm sure glad it is. All the turtles and tortoises are now outside full time, except for the rehabs and my tiny Leopard torts. They come in at night. It's so nice to see everyone sunning themselves and getting lots of exercise. We've had a large Sulcata here for over a month now who will be going to Florida next month, but for now is mowing the entire pen all by herself, and does a great job too. She must weigh over 50 pounds, but I haven't had anyone lift her to the scale yet. I can't, way too heavy. She sure does keep me busy. Don't know how anyone can keep a tort of this size in their home. The poop I clean out of her tort house daily as well as her river of pee is enough to turn anyone off to the concept that these torts can be housed inside. Outside is work enough. I also have two 6 y/o Sulcata that are so small I had to really look at them several times to be sure they are actually Sulcata. Usually they come in huge at that age. These two are only about 6" if that. They were kept in a 20 gallon tank and actually had room to move around, that gives you an idea of their size. Another female Sulcata I have here now is the most rambunctious trouble maker. There always has to be one, and she's it. Can't house her with any other torts because she starts trouble. Now another 50 pounder is due to come in, so this should be interesting. More...
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Wed Apr 18, 2007
March & April 2007
I sort of missed updating for the month of March, so will try to cover all I can remember. It sure did pick up with rescues and adoptions coming in. I had a total of eight Sulcata here at once which is our new record for the most at one time, and I also have a pretty good sized Leopard tort. If it hadn't been for the streak of warm weather at the end of March, we would have had 12 Sulcata here, but luckily I was able to ship four out then. I have two more Sulcata coming in tomorrow, so no short supply of them around here, sadly enough.
One of the Russian tortoises that I took in from the Reptile store that was in really bad shape hung on for several weeks, but didn't make it. Poor thing was better off as I had to tube feed him every few days and his strength just never picked up. He was loaded with parasites and seemed to have internal injuries because there was the look of blood under the shell. The other one has done great and is being adopted out to a new home. I've lost count already of all the sliders I've taken in so far. Too many for sure.
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Fri Mar 02, 2007
February, 2007
We've certainly got a full house here now. One little Painted turtle was adopted out, but many other turtles and torts came in. Some we are still looking for homes for. Some are ill and receiving care to get them in shape for adoption. The two smaller Sulcata that came in here in December have a home to go to, but we need to wait for the weather to warm up. Another Sulcata came in that is not in very good shape. Real bad pyramiding, but his shell is pretty hard. We have a really kind adopter down in Texas waiting for warm temps so he can be shipped. A larger twenty-pound Sulcata was brought in and is being treated for parasites. No fun cleaning up after a Sulcata that has not been on a good diet AND has parasites. Is it spring yet?
I was given a Pink bellied side neck turtle, and this one I am keeping, so not offering this one for adoption. Every once in a while I will keep a turtle or tort that comes in here. Not too often as I need the room for the rescue animals, but this is one of those turtles I've always admired, so it will remain here.
Look at this face http://www.turtlerescues.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2813 Beautiful!
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Tue Jan 30, 2007
Month of January 2007
Usually this time of year is slow, but last month I took in three Sulcata tortoises. Two are only about a year old and quite small, the other probably about five or so and much larger. On January 6th we had a warm spell so I had him outside grazing. He was delighted to say the least. When I brought him back in let's say he was not so happy. Luckily we had another break in the weather and I was able to ship him to a new home down in Alabama where he can get out to graze much more often. The two smaller torts will be adopted out in the spring.
This month, January, has also brought in some new boarders. First a very young Eastern box turtle. Had been chewed on by an animal and was found in someones back yard almost a year ago. They kept it in a tank and fed it greens. Shell healed well with vet care, but diet was not so good. Luckily the shell isn't too deformed but the plastron isn't looking too good, nor are the legs and feet at this point. Hopefully on a good diet with proper habitat we can get this turtle to grow into a healthy turtle that can live a good life.
We also got in two adult Eastern box turtles. Both were kept by an elderly gentleman for, according the neighbor, anywhere from 10 - 20 years. In August the gentleman passed away leaving these turtles with nobody to care for them. They both look good except for the bottom mandible which is excessivly shorter than the top which makes it difficult for them to hold certain foods, especially live wiggly ones. They try so hard but need help with things like superworms, crickets, butterworms, etc.
Our other additions are two large female Red eared sliders. Both appear to have respiratory infection. One has lesions which appear to be bite marks but it's hard to tell. There are actually chunks of skin hanging off of this turtle. Most dead skin that I was able to cut away. I'll treat them and adopt them out if they make it. Since they are a hardy species they should survive. Hopefully they will and can enjoy the life in sunny Florida.
A large female Russian tortoise came in as well. This one I have not decided what to do with yet. She was kept with a Sulcata tortoise for about six years. Fed romaine lettuce. Free roam of an apartment with said Sulcata. A week prior to being surrendered the Sulcata died for no apparent reason. Isolation for this tortoise and I haven't decided if I'll have testing done or not, but I do strongly suspect cross contamination in this case. This is why species should not be mixed. This one I may keep here.
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