theTurtleRoom

theTurtleRoom The mission of theTurtleRoom is to advance survival of the world’s turtles and tortoises through collaborative education, conservation, and research programs.

We are involved in both in-situ and ex-situ conservation projects and partner frequently with the Turtle Survival Alliance and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums . We are also the publisher of the Western Hermann's Tortoise North American Regional Studbook. Please visit http://theturtleroom.org/conservation to find out more about our major conservation projects. theTurtleRoom is a Conservation

Partner of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Garden State Tortoise, LLC and Arizona Tortoise Compound are two of our important business partners.

The Three-striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii) gets its common name from the three light-colored stripes running down...
09/01/2026

The Three-striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii) gets its common name from the three light-colored stripes running down its dark shell.

Found in the southeastern United States, these little turtles live in shallow wetlands, ponds, marshes, and other slow-moving waters, searching through the mud and leaf litter for a variety of foods.

Like other mud turtles, they have a hinged plastron that helps them pull their head and legs safely inside their shell when they feel threatened.

Have you ever spotted a Three-striped Mud Turtle in the wild?

What could be more fun than a fairy tale featuring a turtle?In the French fairy tale Blondine, Bonne-Biche et Beau-Minon...
08/29/2026

What could be more fun than a fairy tale featuring a turtle?

In the French fairy tale Blondine, Bonne-Biche et Beau-Minon by the Comtesse de Ségur, the main protagonist, the princess Blondine finds herself in a magical world filled with talking animals and adventure. In one part of the story, Blondie must ride the back of a turtle for six months without talking or getting down or she would remain under the enchantment of an evil sorcerer.

Artist Virginia Frances Sterrett captured the image of Blondie riding the back of a turtle in an ink and watercolor illustration for a 1920 edition of French Fairy Tales.

Don’t let the name fool you—the spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) doesn’t have eight legs! The spider tortoise gets it...
08/25/2026

Don’t let the name fool you—the spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) doesn’t have eight legs! The spider tortoise gets its name from the beautiful, web-like pattern on its shell.

Native to Madagascar, these small tortoises live in the island’s dry forests and coastal habitats. Their intricate shells provide the camouflage that helps them blend into their surroundings.

Spider tortoises are also critically endangered, which means supporting conservation is essential to making sure these little 5-6” tortoises have a bright future.

What do you think—does the spider tortoise live up to its name? 🕷️🐢



(Northern Spider Tortoise [Pyxis arachnoides brygooi] featured in pictures by Anthony Pierlioni)

You’ve probably heard “Happy Together,” an ol’ song from the 1960’s, but did you know that the band performing it is cal...
08/22/2026

You’ve probably heard “Happy Together,” an ol’ song from the 1960’s, but did you know that the band performing it is called The Turtles?

The song, written by Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon, was rejected by many artists, but when The Turtles decided to record it, “Happy Together” became their biggest hit! It even unseated The Beatles’ “Penny Lane” from the top spot on the Billboard charts in 1967.

Other popular songs by The Turtles include “She’d Rather Be With Me,” “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” They released their final album, Turtle Soup, in 1969.

The wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) is a rugged animal that enjoys both land and water, but can often be found in or n...
08/18/2026

The wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) is a rugged animal that enjoys both land and water, but can often be found in or near water. Roughly 8-9” in size, the wood turtle is found in the northeastern United States and its numbers are in decline. The wood turtle is thought to be the most intelligent turtle species and uses a unique trick to catch woods. It will stomp on the ground and the vibrations bring worms to the surface for what they believe is a rainfall. Sadly for the worms, they become a wood turtle’s meal.

Enjoy your !

Happy ! Today’s turtle is the Ryukyu Black-Breasted Leaf Turtle (Geoemyda japonica) is an endangered turtle hailing fro...
08/11/2026

Happy ! Today’s turtle is the Ryukyu Black-Breasted Leaf Turtle (Geoemyda japonica) is an endangered turtle hailing from Japan’s Ryuku Islands. This little beauty is around 5-6” long and eats a variety of vegetation, arthropods, worms, and crickets.

(Photo by Anothiny Pierlioni)

If you ever played a Super Mario Bros. game or seen one of the Mario movies, you’re probably familiar with Mario’s arch ...
08/08/2026

If you ever played a Super Mario Bros. game or seen one of the Mario movies, you’re probably familiar with Mario’s arch enemy, Bowser aka King Koopa, leader of the iconic turtle-like Koopa Troopas.

When Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto first created Bowser in 1985, he looked like an ox. Another designer pointed out that he looked more like a turtle and his design was changed to create the Bowser fans know and love.

There have been many inceptions of Bowser in video games, movies, comic books, and other popular media, but a social media favorite has been Jack Black’s Bowser and his love ballad to Princess Peach. The song “Peaches” is an earworm from the 2023 movie, The Super Mario Bros.

(Bowser image from Gamer.com// “Peaches” from Complex Pop Culture)

08/03/2026

Join us for a discussion on the upcoming documentary, Monsters of God. The first episode will release on Thursday on HBO Max. We'll also talk a little bit about the upcoming Turtle Talks and Daytona Reptile Show

We're thrilled to celebrate the launch of the brand-new IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG)...
08/03/2026

We're thrilled to celebrate the launch of the brand-new IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG) website!

Designed by theTurtleRoom's president Steve Enders and hosted on tTR’s servers, this new resource reflects the incredible work of a global community dedicated to protecting turtles and tortoises.

Whether you're a researcher, conservationist, educator, or just someone who loves turtles, you'll find a wealth of information, including updated taxonomy checklists, species accounts for more than 100 turtle and tortoise species, and Turtles in Trouble, the TFTSG's publication highlighting the world's most endangered turtles and tortoises.

We're honored to play a small part in supporting the important work of the TFTSG and the worldwide conservation community. Congratulations to everyone who helped bring this updated resource to life. We can't wait to see the impact it has for turtle conservation around the globe!

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Lititz, PA
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