Shelled Friends

04/22/2025

Day 1 of International Turtle and Tortoise Week (ITTW).

04/13/2025

A couple of young Florida box turtles who will join the squad in a few years. I fell hard for this species in 2019 and have not looked back. I am thankful to all the TTPG members who have helped me get a group together.

04/11/2025

I use live aquatic plants in almost all my setups, with the exception of my rehab setups. Here are some ways where I include plants without giving the turtles an opportunity to destroy them.

04/10/2025

Kicking back and chilling on the Lotl Lounge Ledge (found on Etsy). My Claudius are not fans of stepping out of the water completely but sure like to sit just under the surface and bask with their legs stretched out. These 3D printed ledges have been perfect for these little monsters.

03/14/2025

Probably old news for friends who ship a lot but here is a psa for those who have not heard. It looks like many of the Uniheat brand 72 hour heat packs are failing and have prompted companies like Redlineshipping and Reptilesexpresd to pull them from their catalog.

The best buy date on the batch of Uniheat packs I was using was 04102026. The failure rate was nearly 50%, some were rigid even before I opened the plastic wrapper.

Be sure to open your heat pack a few hours before you pack to ensure they are working properly.

12/19/2024

Couple of spotted turtles from the wonderful Charlie at Moorcroft Conservation Foundation. I told them that eight spotted turtles, from a confiscation, have returned to the wild in Virginia and they appeared to perk up. Well, it was either the news or the tub of Timberline worms in my other hand 🙂

Congrats to everyone who worked hard to return those eight spotted turtles to the wild, including folks at .

12/17/2024

Loving this Dinosaur page.

12/15/2024

Reeves turtles, as a part of the Mauremys madness, have a special place in my heart. A hardy species that doesn't get too big, and pretty cold tolerant as well. Please note that while this species doesn't get big, like a slider, they are not a species I recommend for a tank unless you can get creative and provide a sizeable land area for them.

12/14/2024

A young Coahuilan box turtle, a species with a native range that is facing some serious challenges. Thankful for all the Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group members who are sharing this species through the Chelonian Propagation Program (CPP). Also thankful for through Turtle Conservancy that is working to secure some of the land in the native range.

12/13/2024

The cold and dark days of winter are almost here. Perfect time to admire these spicy turtles that don't brumate. Tabasco mud turtles are one of my top recommendations for folks who want a colorful turtle that doesn't get too big.

12/12/2024

Some late season hatchling, Razorback musk turtles, from eggs that were not recovered on time. I am relieved to see these developed and emerged successfully.

12/11/2024

A love affair that started twenty years ago. Thankfully, the love hasn't waned even one bit. If anything, it is stronger. Kwangtung river turtle, Mauremys nigricans, are a medium sized turtle species that is cold hardy.

12/11/2024

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Credit: Dinos and Comics

12/03/2024

This Tuesday, give the gift of community to a turtle guardian in your life. Gift them a TTPG membership.

Today is is Giving Tuesday! We hope you’ll join us in helping preserve turtles and tortoises through captive breeding and education. To everyone who gives throughout the year, whether its money, time or your voice - we appreciate you! Your donation is tax deductible and helps us support International Turtle and Tortoise week(educational packages are shipped out to students, scout troops, 4H clubs, etc), support our newly launched rescue program (CRP), foster student projects in classrooms/schools, helps us bring speakers over for the conference and so much more. Donate or join us here:
https://ttpg.org/membership.php