Carlsbad turtle expert and his turtles mark World Turtle Day
CARLSBAD — World Turtle Day is sponsored by the American Tortoise Rescue, a non-profit organization established nearly 20 years ago for the protection of all species of tortoise and turtle. As an annual observance featured in Chase's Book of Annual Events, it was created to help people celebrate and protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world.
The group founders, Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson, are advocates of humane treatment of all animals, especially reptiles. They launched World Turtle Day to increase respect for and knowledge about one of the world's oldest creatures, which have been around for about 200 million years.
"Our ultimate goal is to stop the illegal trade in turtles and tortoises around the world. But our first job is here in the U.S. where pet stores and reptile shows sell illegal hatchling tortoises of all species," Thompson said, adding turtles are often an impulse buy and end up suffering from improper care.
There are about 220 species of turtles living today, less than one-tenth the numbers of living snakes or lizards. Despite their relative lack of diversity, turtles are hardy and adaptable. They have moved into a wide variety of habitats from hot arid deserts to the open seas.
In size, they range from the tiny Musk turtle, less than 5 inches long, to the huge marine Leatherback, which reaches lengths of more than 6 feet and weighs more than half a ton. The largest
living land turtle, the Galapagos tortoise, can reach a length of 4 and a half feet and weigh more than 550 pounds.
Local veterinarian Mark Heinrich explained the word turtle is reserved for water and small omnivore land turtles such as the Western or Desert box. The word tortoise is reserved for land dwelling vegetarians.
Heinrich has leopard tortoises, Indian star tortoises and Western box turtles. The leopard and African-spurred tortoise are straight vegetarians. The Western box or desert box turtles eat plant and animal food.
"I raised her from a hatchling," Heinrich said making reference to 15-year-old Badger, a leopard tortoise weighing 15 pounds.
He named her Badger because the dog he had of the same name chewed on her, leaving the outside of her shell rough and ragged. Badger, a type of tortoise that doesn't hibernate, roams his yard eating grass and dandelion greens. He has provided a heated barn. Above 40 degrees he doesn't worry, but anything below requires heat. When the weather is bad in the winter, he brings the turtles inside and they reside in a big tub.
Heinrich said he ended up with the Indian star tortoises because a group intercepted them at an airport after they were illegally brought into the U.S. A friend of his found out, called him, and he took them.
People will do anything for money, he said, noting people get by with selling them under the pretense of scientific or education purposes.
Heinrich explained that many of the larger pet tortoises sold in the U.S. are captive bred. He urges prospective turtle owners to insist that the pet they buy be captive bred.
The Western or Desert box turtle that most people are familiar with in this area ranges from the Trans-Pecos region of Texas, New Mexico and southeastern Arizona in the U.S. and south in Sonora and Chihuahua in Mexico. Its colors are muted for camouflage in the desert.
Once these turtles have been captured and brought into town, they should never go back to the wild because of disease purposes. One sick turtle could transmit and spread disease and wipe out a wild population.
"Once they have been in captivity they can't go back in the wild - that's a big no-no," Heinrich said.
Box turtles kept in backyards as pets often contract mycoplasma, an upper respiratory problem. They also are susceptible to bacterial eye and ear infections. Once they go into hibernation and their body temperature goes down, they can't fight infection. Many die during hibernation or shortly after they emerge.
The eye infection leaves them temporarily blind because hard pus caps form and cover the eyeball. The pus caps need to be removed skillfully and carefully and the eye treated with antibiotic. If their ears appear domed or similar to horns, they are more than likely infected and need to be lanced, cleaned and treated with antibiotics. All of the above problems require medical attention by a veterinarian.
If a turtle is on the highway, be courteous and stop and carry it across and place it safely out of harm's way in the direction it was headed.
The best policy is to resist taking them home as pets. Leave them in the wild in their familiar habitat. (Source:Valerie Cranston, Current-Argus)
