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Conservation | ||
| Ashton Biodiversity Research & Preservation Institute | ||
| The Ashton Biodiversity Research & Preservation Institute, Inc. is a non-profit 501c3 foundation created in 1999 to contribute to better understanding and management of biodiversity in Florida, the U.S. and world wide. Its work is currently focusing on turtle and tortoise conservation. This institute is primarily a herpetocultural site.You can email the director at Tortfarm2@aol.com or telephone at (352) 495-7449.
http://www.ashtonbiodiversity.org/ | ||
| Box Turtle (Terrapene): Wildlife Rehabilitation Database | ||
| Maintained by Tufts University. http://www.wpi.edu/Projects/Tufts/Rep4.html | ||
| Box Turtle Conservation Committee | ||
| The Box Turtle Conservation Committee annually makes The Lucille F. Stickel Award. The Committee accepts proposals between 1 April and 30 April (up to 5:00 pm Eastern Time). Successful applicants will be notified by 15 May 15 2009. For more information and the application outline please see the Dr. Lucille F. Stickel Award on the web site. The Box Turtle Conservation Committee collects and prepares information from previous workshops in preparation for the future release of the workshop proceedings. In addition, future workshop dates will also be announced on this website. http://www.boxturtlesintrouble.org/ | ||
| Caribbean Conservation Corporation | ||
| The Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) and the Sea Turtle Survival League (STSL) are working to ensure the survival of sea turtles through research, education, advocacy and the protection of the natural habitats upon which they depend. This site is provided as a source of information for the world to learn about sea turtles and the threats to their survival by the CCC and its STSL program. http://cccturtle.org/ccctmp.htm | ||
| Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii): Wildlife Rehabilitation Database | ||
| Maintained by Tufts University. http://www.wpi.edu/Projects/Tufts/Rep5.html | ||
| Florida Turtle Conservation Trust | ||
| The Florida Turtle Conservation Trust (FTCT) was formed in 1999 by a group of Florida biologists and conservationists concerned with the conservation outlook for Florida turtles. Our purpose is to promote the conservation of all Florida turtle species and the preservation of intact, free-ranging populations and their associated ecosystems throughout the state of Florida. The FTCT is committed to and supports education, conservation, research, and management efforts with the above goals in mind. http://www.ftct.org | ||
| Florida: Lake Jackson Ecopassage | ||
| The Problem: Highest rate of road-killed turtles in North America Temporary Solution: Fences to direct turtles through a culvert under the road The Goal: A permanent ecopassage http://www.lakejacksonturtles.org/ | ||
| Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas): Wildlife Rehabilitation Database | ||
| Maintained by Tufts University. http://www.wpi.edu/Projects/Tufts/Rep8.html | ||
| Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii): Wildlife Rehabilitation Database | ||
| Maintained by Tufts University. http://www.wpi.edu/Projects/Tufts/Rep9.html | ||
| Nevada Tortoise Group | ||
| The Organization for the Protection of Nevada's Resident Tortoises Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada. A non-profit organization since 1982. Contributing in efforts to protect wild populations of the Desert Tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, and its natural habitat and promoting responsible care of legally acquired captive Desert Tortoises. This site also contains herpetocultural material.
http://www.tortoisegroup.org/ | ||
| Sea Turtle Restoration Project | ||
| The Sea Turtle Restoration Project (STRP) fights to protect endangered sea turtle populations in ways that meet the ecological needs of the sea turtles and the oceans and the needs of the local communities who share the beaches and waters with these gentle creatures. http://www.seaturtles.org/ | ||
| Sea Turtles: Kemp's Ridley | ||
| HEART (Help Endangered Animals-Ridley Turtles) was organized in 1982 to save the Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) from extinction by educating the public and supporting conservation laws that protect sea turtles. HEART serves as an educational referral source for teachers and students seeking information about the Kemp's Ridleys and all other sea turtles. A grassroots all-volunteer organization, HEART strives to inform the public of breaking news about Kemp's Ridleys and the challenges facing their survival. http://www.ridleyturtles.org/ | ||
| St. Catherines Island Sea Turtle Program | ||
| The St. Catherines Island Sea Turtle Program is a holistic program dedicated to the study of the interactions of coastal geology, biology, and human development on nesting ecology of loggerhead sea turtles. This unique web site (created in 1995, revised in 2007) presents an overview of marine turtle nesting habitat and ecology, classification and reading of Georgia loggerhead nests, morphology of sea turtle nests deposited in Georgia, protocols used in nest conservation in the SCISTP, a summary of traces and trace fossils left by nesting loggerhead sea turtles, including a description of the World's only described fossilized sea turtle nest from the Cretaceous of Colorado, and models, activities, and downloadable products for science education based upon sea turtle conservation. Created in 1990, the program contributes to better understanding and management of loggerhead sea turtle nests in Georgia through "Conservation, Research, and Education." http://www.scistp.org/ | ||
| Texas Tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri): Wildlife Rehabilitation Database | ||
| Maintained by Tufts University. http://www.wpi.edu/Projects/Tufts/Rep14.html | ||
| The Leatherback Trust | ||
| Leatherbacks have been here for over 65 million years. They have witnessed the fall of the dinosaurs and the rise of humanity. Their habitat spans the globe from the North Atlantic near the Arctic Circle to the South Pacific around New Zealand. These gentle giants are the largest reptiles on earth, and one of the most endangered. http://www.leatherback.org/ | ||
| The Tortoise Reserve | ||
| The Tortoise Reserve Inc. is a non-profit 501c3 corporation dedicated to the conservation of tortoises and freshwater turtles. Our goal is to help with the recovery of stressed and endangered populations through enhanced public awareness, the development of regional conservation strategies, support of successful existing programs, and conservation-oriented research. Of primary interest are local programs which address the interrelated roles of chelonians within specific biotic communities and involvement of the private sector in conservation. http://www.tortoisereserve.org/ | ||
| Turtle and Tortoise Newsletter | ||
| Published by Chelonian Research Foundation
in association with
Conservation International, IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group,
Chelonian Research Institute, Wildlife Conservation Society, Chelonia Institute,
and IUCN (The World Conservation Union) - Species Survival Commission
http://www.chelonian.org/ttn/ | ||
| Turtles and global climate change | ||
| Turtles are an ancient group represented in the fossil record as far back as 200 million years ago. Their conservative body plan and successful strategy for survival endured the test of time as their lineage plodded along past such environmental cataclysms as the Cretaceous extinctions of the dinosaurs and various "ice ages." However, resilient as they are, turtles have fared poorly in the modern, human-dominated world. An article by Jeff Lovich http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/sw/impacts/biology/turtles/ | ||
| Western Pond Turtle | ||
| An online update of the Western Pond Turtle Project. http://www.pondturtle.com/ptmain.html | ||
| Wood Turtle | ||
| The mission of WoodTurtle.com is to promote the conservation of turtles through education and research. http://woodturtle.com | ||
| World Chelonian Trust | ||
| The World Chelonian Trust is a 501c3 non profit organization dedicated to the in-situ conservation and species survival of freshwater turtles and tortoises. The WCT web site hosts the internet's largest chelonian photographic gallery and as well as the most recent complete chelonian taxonomic listing. We also host numerous articles on the conservation of freshwater turtles and tortoises. http://www.chelonian.org | ||
Ecology | ||
| Gopher Tortoise Council | ||
| The Gopher Tortoise Council (GTC) was formed in 1978 by a group of biologists and others concerned about the range-wide decline of the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). The Council offers professional advice for management, conservation, and protection of Gopher Tortoises; encourages the study of the life history, ecology, behavior, physiology, and management of Gopher Tortoises and other upland species; conducts active public information and conservation education programs, and seeks effective protection of the Gopher Tortoise and other upland species throughout the southeastern United States. http://www.gophertortoisecouncil.org/ | ||
| Sea Turtle Migration-Tracking Education Program | ||
| Through this web page, you can view a regularly updated map showing the migratory movements of endangered sea turtles being tracked by satellite. It is hoped that by providing this unique look at the migratory habits of sea turtles, you will also be compelled to learn more about sea turtle biology, the threats they face and the ways in which you can help protect marine turtles. http://www.cccturtle.org/sat1.htm | ||
Faunal lists | ||
| Crocodilian, Tuatara, and Turtle Species of the World | ||
| An online taxonomic and geographic reference. This site, an annotated checklist of the 271 nominal species of crocodilians, tuatara, and turtles, is the result of an international cooperative effort by 42 reptile biologists. It does not represent the views of any one person. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/turtcroclist/ | ||
| Discover Life - Turtles | ||
| Discover Life helps you to identify things, share ways to teach and study nature's wonders, use maps, report your findings, and contribute to and learn from the Web's growing encyclopedia of life. The Polistes Foundation and its partners plan to make identification guides, maps, images, and valuable data on a million species freely available to everyone by 2012. So far we have some information on 228,928 species. We invite you to join us in our quest to reduce disease, increase food production, stop destructive species, protect endangered ones, and enjoy rather than struggle with nature. -- John Pickering http://www.discoverlife.org/nh/tx/Vertebrata/Reptilia/Testudines/ | ||
| Hawaiian Turtles | ||
| Turtles are alone in the class Chelonia. In Hawaiian waters, there are 8 possible turtles you can see here, 5 native sea turtles and 3 introduced turtles of freshwater habitats. http://www.explorebiodiversity.com/Hawaii/BiodiversityForgotten/Wildlife/Reptiles/Turtles.htm | ||
| Maine Turtle Poster | ||
| The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has published a new poster illustrating in color the turtles of their state. Designed by Ethan Nedeau of BioDrawVersity, the poster covers the following taxa (common names as they appear on the posters): Featured are the Blanding's Turtle, Eastern Box Turtle, Wood Turtle, Spotted Turtle, Common Musk Turtle, Common Snapping Turtle, and Painted Turtle. The photography is exquisite, and the text is by Mark McCollough, Phillip deMaynadier, and Ethan Nedeau. http://www.biodrawversity.com/artwork/Turtle_Front.jpg | ||
| Nova Scotia Turtles | ||
| Over 200 kinds of turtles are known in the world, with 7 reported from Nova Scotia. Three of these are large marine turtles, the Loggerhead, Atlantic Ridley and Leatherback, that visit our oceans in summer. http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/turtles/index.htm | ||
| Texas Turtles: A Checklist | ||
| A complete and taxonomically up-to-date checklist to the turtles of Texas; subspecies, which are biologically uninformative, are not included. This is the best checklist to Texas turtles available, either in print or online. Prepared by the University of Texas, Austin. http://www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/turtles/ | ||
General | ||
| Wood Turtles | ||
| The mission of WoodTurtle.com is to promote the conservation of Wood Turtles through public education and applied research. This is a website dedicated to all things about Wood Turtles.
http://www.woodturtle.com/ | ||
Government | ||
| Kansas: Ornate Box Turtle - Official State Symbol | ||
| How the Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata, became an official state symbol of Kansas. http://tcslacerta.tripod.com/tcsphotos/id13.html | ||
Natural History | ||
| Map Turtles (Graptemys) | ||
| Graptemys.com in an educational and reference-based website that focuses on natural history and conservation issues with Map Turtles. This website includes descriptions, photographs, news and a bibliography of Map Turtles. There is also a forum that limits conversation to taxonomy, natural history, conservation, research and other in-situ topics dealing with this genus. The web site is the creation of Chris Lechowicz. http://www.graptemys.com | ||
Researchers | ||
| Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research | ||
| The Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research (ACCSTR) at the University of Florida was established in 1986 by the University Board of Regents of the State of Florida in recognition of the outstanding achievements and pioneering research of the late Dr. Archie Carr and the University of Florida's international reputation in the field of sea turtle research. http://accstr.ufl.edu/index.html | ||
| Bibliography of the Loggerhead Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758), Including References to Fossils Placed in the Genus Caretta | ||
| This bibliography is based on a review of original papers, theses and dissertations, and does not include "gray literature" often referenced in sea turtle biological studies. Prepared by C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/caretta/Caretta.htm | ||
| Class Chelonia | ||
| A section of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Animal Diversity Web Site devoted to turtles. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/chordata/reptilia/testudines.html | ||
| Sea Turtle Online Bibliography | ||
| The Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research at the University of Florida has developed the "Sea Turtle Online Bibliography." This bibliographic database can be accessed worldwide via the Internet. This online bibliography includes all aspects of sea turtle biology, conservation and management. Citations are from recognized bibliographic sources as well as "grey literature." Unfortunately, at present, we cannot conduct searches for those investigators who cannot access the system. http://accstr.ufl.edu/biblio.html | ||
Societies | ||
| Chelonian Research Foundation | ||
| Chelonian Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1992 for the production, publication, and support of worldwide turtle and tortoise research, with an emphasis on the scientific basis of chelonian diversity and conservation biology. http://www.chelonian.org/ | ||
Systematics | ||
| Introduction to Anapsida: Turtles and Their Kin | ||
| The clade Anapsida includes turtles and all their extinct relatives, which include millerettids, procolophonoids, pareiasaurs, as well as more poorly known taxa such as Acleistorhinus, lanthanosuchids, and nyctiphruretians. As you'll notice while you tour this section of the University of California Museum of Paleontology, the anapsids once consisted of many groups, many of which could be considered to have been quite successful until their extinction. Today, only one group of anapsids remains ( Chelonia -- the turtles), which truly could be called an evolutionary success story. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/anapsids/anapsida.html | ||
Taxonomy | ||
| Texas: Key to Turtles | ||
| Maintained by Texas Parks and Wildlife, Austin http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/wild/reptiles/txtestud.htm#View | ||
| Tree of Life: Turtles | ||
| The earliest turtles fossils are from the beginning of the age of dinosaurs, in the late Triassic. The Class Chelonia reached its greatest diversity by the end of the Cretaceous. Today only 260 species representing 13 families survive. Although turtles are abundant in the tropics, they also are quite diverse in temperate regions and have been recorded in Arctic waters. CNAH Note: Turtles are no longer considered members of the Class Reptilia, but are placed in the Class Chelonia by themselves (as an equivalent lineage to the Class Reptilia), until evidence is discovered that refutes this arrangement. http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/tree/eukaryotes/animals/chordata/testudines/testudines.html | ||
Teaching | ||
| Introduction to Testudines: The Turtles | ||
| As you will learn if you delve further into the history of this group, the proper name for the extant (living) turtles is Chelonia; Testudines refers to the Chelonia and some of their extinct relatives known from the extentive fossil record of turtles. Chelonia is the single surviving branch of the Anapsida, a group of amniotes with unfenestrated skulls (see the page on anapsid morphology for more details). http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/anapsids/testudines/testudines.html | ||
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| © 1994-2010, CNAH - Director - Joseph T. Collins | Programmer/Webmaster - Travis W. Taggart |
| Accessed at: 9/2/2010 1:33:20 PM CT. | |