#chelonians

[great-and-small]

Studying turtles is starting to bum me out

#memes #conservation #extinction #turtles #chelonians

[mjschryver]

Noah Beck with one of my favorite animals.

Noah Beck: Instagram, TikTok

From this post.

#animals #chelonians #turtles #dudes #noah beck

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Poaching Turtles for the Pet Trade

When I was a kid in the 80s, I remember hearing about tortoise shell glasses–also known as horn-rimmed glasses–that were made from the shells of real sea turtles and other chelonians. They were considered trendy when they first appeared in the 1920s, though by the time I came around horn-rimmed glasses were supposedly the mark of uncool nerds. Of course, actual tortoise shells were no longer used as the trade in sea turtle parts was banned in the 1970s by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), an agreement among almost all the countries in the world.

There’s been illegal poaching of sea turtles since then for culinary, medicinal and ornamental use, but growing awareness has cut down on demand on the black market. Unfortunately, their terrestrial cousins are facing increased threats from poachers, not just as food or medicine–but as pets.

Exotic pets are any non-domesticated animals kept as pets, like birds, reptiles, fish, and wild mammals. Some of these species are easy to breed in captivity, such some freshwater fish kept in aquariums. But many are captured from wild populations; many parrot species, for example, are threatened with extinction simply by how many are trapped for the pet trade.

There are a lot of responsible exotic pet owners and breeders out there, to be sure. Unfortunately, the trade is badly marred by a proliferation of poachers, and people whose only thought is to have the coolest, rarest, or most impressive endangered species in their collection. Think of wealthy people with pet lions, tigers, and other big cats, or poachers capturing rare reptile species to sell to the highest bidder. In spite of all the education done by responsible exotic pet enthusiasts, the bad apples make all too big an impact on wildlife populations.

It’s estimated that the global exotic pet trade may be worth over 40 billion dollars; almost half of that may be illegal. Demand for these animals largely comes from North America and Europe, while the countries whose wildlife is most frequently poached are developing nations that have a lot of species biodiversity. Because wildlife may be shipped all over the world rather than under a single jurisdiction, it’s difficult to track or stop black market trade in wildlife, to include endangered species.

Turtles are no exception. Wildlife officials have seen an increase in poaching of tortoises and freshwater turtles in recent years due to the demand of the exotic pet trade. Because these animals often reproduce slowly, and only after they are several years old, breeding them can require more time and patience than unethical dealers may want to invest. And as turtles are famously slow, it’s all too easy for poachers to pick them up and carry them away.

Poaching turtles has some pretty negative consequences. Over half of the world’s 360 species of turtle and tortoise are being pushed toward extinction by the illegal exotic pet trade. It’s not just turtles in tropical areas that are being stolen, though. The United States is seeing thousands of turtles being illegally exported out of the country. From 1999 to 2017, exports of mud turtles (Kinosternon spp.) rose from 1,844 to 40,000, while musk turtles (Sternotherus spp.) saw an export increase from  8,254 to more than 281,000. And other species have seen similar increases both in the United States and beyond.

When all the turtles of a given species are removed from an area, it has a damaging effect on the ecosystem. Every species has interdependencies with others, and when poaching turtles leads to their extirpation–or even entire extinction–they take with them all the relationships they had with other animals, plants, microbes, and other organisms in their home ecosystems. That leads to less biodiversity, weaker ecosystem health, and potentially the extinction of species that were dependent on the now-missing turtles.

The rise of the internet and social media has been a double-edged sword for wildlife. On the one hand, it’s made getting information about the challenges wildlife face much easier to access, and facilitated a lot more necessary conversations about these animals and their habitats. After all, I likely would have a harder time getting the information in this article to you if I were limited to newspapers, magazines, or other physical media that only come out at certain intervals or only in limited regions.

However, there’s a plethora of videos and other media portraying exotic pets as cool and trendy, but neglecting to mention how much work they may need for proper care. Additionally, since most of the internet isn’t professionally edited, anyone can write anything they want. This means that inaccurate information can be quickly and easily passed around, much to the detriment of the animals receiving inadequate or harmful care. And turtles, which can live several decades, may be sentenced to a shortened lifespan consisting of poor health and suffering.

Thankfully enough responsible caretakers of these animals put forth information on proper care, and realistic looks at how much work it takes to give these animals the best life possible in captivity. We cannot duplicate a wild life for them, but we can at least give them the right food, enclosure, and enrichment. So the best thing good exotic pet owners can do is educate, educate, educate. If you have exotic pets, be open about the work you put in giving them good lives. And if someone makes a suggestion that could lead to even better care, be receptive to that new information rather than getting defensive. If you’re trying to help educate someone who may be new to caring for their exotic pets, try to keep things positive and supportive so that they don’t feel attacked (though there’s not much you can do if they decide to double down on their inadequate husbandry instead.)

It’s also incredibly easy for people to acquire all sorts of exotic pets. Major chain pet stores may have reptiles, amphibians, birds, and more, and employees may not always have accurate information on how best to care for them. Even independent pet stores vary in quality and understanding of exotic animal care. Many people go to large exotic pet trade shows, where hundreds of vendors proffer thousands of snakes, lizards, insects, spiders, birds, and more to anyone with cash to spend regardless of experience or intent. Craig’s List and similar websites offer opportunities for people to sell exotic wildlife to others in their area with little oversight. And for those who don’t want to have to leave the house, exotic animals can even be bought online and shipped right to your door.

While there are certainly shops and dealers who are mindful of the negative ecological impact of the trade in wild-caught turtles and other wildlife, others aren’t so scrupulous. If you are someone looking to acquire an exotic animal, it’s best to be very particular about sourcing; if a seller can’t tell you much about where an animal came from (for example whether it was captive-bred or wild-caught), find a different source. Avoid endangered or threatened species; even legal trade can encourage illegal black market demand for these species. If it seems too good to be true–a rare animal available for sale, or one selling for an incredibly good price–there’s probably something sketchy in its origin.

Consider giving a home to rescued or otherwise “secondhand” exotic pets, to include turtles. A lot of them end up rehomed or even abandoned because people buy these animals and then either don’t understand how much work they take, or simply get bored with them. And again, turtles’ long lifespans often work against them as few people keep a turtle for its entire decades-long life. Rescues do a lot of good work to help these discarded animals find better homes, and are also often very good sources of information on proper care.

You can also make a difference by simply not purchasing exotic pets in the first place, which reduces the demand for them. The normalization of wildlife as pets creates a setting in which these animals are more readily caught and traded because “Well, it’s okay because those other people are doing it!” There are already tons of domesticated pets–dogs, cats, rabbits, rats, mice, guinea pigs, and more–in need of homes. Sure, they may not be as trendy as sugar gliders, bearded dragons, or rare turtles. But as domesticated animals they have been specifically bred to be around humans and be our companions. They’re much more suitable as pets than the truly wild animals that are passed around in the exotic pet trade–and certainly more than those that were taken directly from the wild and which can no longer contribute their genes to wild populations.

Finally, instead of spending potentially hundreds of dollars on a wild-caught turtle or other animal, try giving that money to a nonprofit organization that works toward wildlife conservation instead. The Orianne Society, for example, focuses on reptile and amphibian conservation. And the Turtle Conservancy, as the name suggests, specifically exists to help promote the protection of endangered chelonians. If you have native turtle species in your area, see if there’s a local organization working on habitat restoration that could use your help with volunteering or a donation.

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

#turtles #reptiles #herps #herpetology #exotic pets #animal welfare #animal cruelty #endangered species #extinction #conservation #environment #environmentalism #wildlife #animals #nature #tortoises #terrapins #chelonians #sea turtles #poaching #long post

[coldmorte]

Even the Dictionary is a fan of RDR2, apparently

#just kidding I know it was a thing before but still… I bet the majority of people who HAVE heard of it know it from RDR2 XD #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #rdr #red dead redemption #Chelonia #chelonians #rdr2 meme

[machobeagle]

I bought my turtles outfits as a birthday present myself. Look at those chelonians working the runway! Also check out their synth pop duo album cover in the mix and the video. Plus Chrrbourg has a close up of her decimating a strawberry like shoes starring in a giallo film! Anna is a bit more reserved and just wanted to storm off the runway! She hates the paparazzi!

#easternboxturtle #chelonians #adoptdontshop #couture #fashion #fabulous

[pazzesco]

Turbo Terrapin!

Cowabunga dude... Cat's like, what did he have for breakfast?

#turtle #cat #terrapin #chelonian #video short #video

[tort-time]

Humom had to go away for a week so I got to spend it at my vacation home (aka grandmas house!) it’s not so bad really.. look at all this clover I have to eat before she gets back! Hard work but someone’s got to do it!

#tortoise #turtle #turtpocalypse #animals #shell #herpetology #chelonian #cute #pets #reptiblr #tortblr #reptile

[rosewind2007]

JSWT bombshell revealed: De Chelonian Mobile.

#de Chelonian mobile #the turtle moves #terry pratchett #disc world #discworld #great a’tuin #jswt #james webb telescope

[zecchou]

If you need a limb, organ or feeling removed or replaced, I can help you with that.

#my art #oc #oc art #fallen london #sunless sea #the chelonian chimera #artist on tumblr

[emway99]

if you squint you can piece together a weird story being told here!

my parts of a 6-way switcharound art meme in the Sunless/FL OC server!

first picture sketched by @ambereddragonfire and lined by @its-me-ej colored by ME!

second image sketched by @its-me-ej, lined by me!

and the last was sketched by yours truly!

If you want to see the rest of the lovely folks who worked on this amazing project, such as @galleryofzecchou, @anchor-ice, and @missiefishu, you may see the full completed grid below! And make sure to follow everyone and send them love and adoration because they deserve it and have some amazing stuff!

we also might do something like this again ;) so watch out!!!!!!

#fallen london #sunless skies #sunless sea #failbetter games #fallen london oc #oc: the chelonian chimera #oc: the irreverent engineer #oc: the glowering barkeep #oc: the scar-skinned stoker #oc: the multifaceted amnesiac #oc: the norwegian courier #oc: the bandaged poet #oc: the orphaned courier #oc: the bedeviled lounger #oc: the bumbling pugilist #fuckin ty z for being the goat and sacrifice for finding all the oc's epithets for us to copy and paste #is that why they call it goat? naught to be a lamb for a greater purpose? #emmingway art #friend art

[galleryofzecchou]

my parts of a 6-way switcharound art meme in the Sunless/FL OC server!

first picture sketched by @missiefishu and lined by @anchor-ice, colored by yours truly

second image sketched by @anchor-ice, lined by me

last image sketched by yours truly

full grid ft. @emway99, @ambereddragonfire and @its-me-ej below line.

#z art #illustration #oc art #oc: the chelonian chimera #oc: the irreverent engineer #oc: the glowering barkeep #oc: the scar-skinned stoker #oc: the multifaceted amnesiac #oc: the norwegian courier #oc: the bandaged poet #oc: the orphaned courier #oc: the bedeviled lounger #oc: the bumbling pugilist #character #background #meme #fallen london #sunless skies #sunless sea

[great-and-small]

Anyone who works with wildlife will tell you it’s a good thing for wild patients to show hostility towards humans even after a long stay in the hospital, and honestly I think snapping turtles might be the best at this. We surgically repaired this little dude’s broken mandible and provided care in hospital for a few months but bless his heart he never stopped hating my fucking guts. Even with a broken jaw he’d snap at me so viciously whenever I had to give him meds and I love him like a son

This feisty creature’s implant was removed once he’d healed and he was successfully released back into the wild near where he was found. Good luck out there bud, I sincerely hope every wildlife patient I ever see going forward has your disdain for humans!

(These photos were taken while the patient’s enclosure was being cleaned, and he was never handled without medical or husbandry cause)

#animals #wildlife #snapping turtle #chelydra #turtles #chelonian #vetblr #wildlife medicine #zoology #nature #biology #veterinary medicine #testudines #funny #reptiles #reptiblr #herpetology #herpblr #my sweet boy #speedy- not named by me

[jadeseadragon]

Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (February 16, 1834 – 1919), Chelonia

1: Leatherback Turtle

2: Hawksbill Turtle

3: Argentine Snake-necked Turtle

4: Mata mata

5: Geometric Tortoise

6: Galápagos Tortoise

7: Common Snapping Turtle

#ernst haeckel #turtles #reptiles #chelonidae #chelonian

[redstone-sun]

so with the current (actually hc) fic im working on i miiiiight have canonized the idea that xisuma is from visage

and, thinking about it, thats a fucking awesome idea

#i love randomly making hermits be from other places in the neath #its very fun #cleo's chelonian grian's iremi and NOW xisumas visage...ian. or whatever

[thewizzardwithin]

hot take: Om in his turtle form in Small Gods would sound exactly like Wheatley from Portal 2. imagine it. pick one of Om’s lines and read it like Wheatley.

#discworld #small gods #terry pratchett #the turtle moves #De Chelonian Mobile #I can’t get it out of my head #it’s PERMANENT!!! #working on a research paper on Small Gods and it was revealed to me

[circadiancrunch]

Found in some scrap stuff! I was definitely exploring some D&D adoptables. Turtle folk and Kolbolds The little ratty lookin one on top is pretty cute

#d&d #dungeons and dragons #adoptables #turtle folk #kobolds #lizard folk #drawings #sketches #chelonian #turtlefolk #lizardfolk #tortle