Wild Turtles & Tortoises

The Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle faces threats from the illegal pet trade.

The woman did not have the permits to export the reptiles nor did she declare them to a U.S. official, the indictment claims.

The decline in Mojave desert tortoises is attributed to the increase in the raven population, according to the U.S. Marines.

The Florida FWC hopes to raise $30,000 to develop a test for Virus X, which has killed hundreds of turtles in the last year.

Green sea turtle populations around Hawaii and U.S. Pacific islands are up markedly but hawksbill turtle populations are not.

Common snapping turtles can be caught in unlimited amounts in the state of Maryland.

The turtles have been dying in and near the St. Johns River since March 2018.

The Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata) is a relatively small species that is hardy, durable and adaptable.

Large pieces of plastic degrade in the ocean and become microplastic. It does not go away.

The male tortoise weighs 33 pounds and has a 17.3-inch carapace.

A “perfect storm” of gale force winds, high tide and cold temperatures caused their demise.

The giant Aldabra tortoise was once found on most islands in the Indian Ocean.

The Pascagoula and Pearl River map turtles were petitioned by the Center for protection in 2010.

The South American Giant River Turtle has benefited from local beach protections on the Amazon River.

Even though Indian star tortoises are widely captive bred for the pet trade, wild caught specimens are still illegally collected.

Olympic gold medalist David Verburg stops and helps turtles and tortoises off the road whenever he sees them.