Turtle Conservancy

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Turtle Conservancy The Turtle Conservancy is dedicated to protecting threatened turtles and tortoises and their habitats worldwide.
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More than half of their 300+ species are threatened with extinction. Our work focuses on four strategic program areas:

Habitat Preservation:
The Turtle Conservancy’s in-country conservation strategies include habitat protection, land acquisition and stewardship, as well as fieldwork and grants programs. Captive Breeding Programs:
We manage 20 of the world’s most critically-endangered species. The Turtle Conservancy was the first organization to ever send critically-endangered captive-bred turtles back to their native range country. Wildlife Trade:
We participate in an international network of organizations that work to monitor and prevent the illegal wildlife trade. Outreach and Global Awareness:
The Turtle Conservancy spreads its ongoing Turtles in Crisis awareness campaign through all media to educate and promote turtle appreciation. Since its inception, many millions of people have heard our message.

“There is no vertebrate group facing greater survival problems today. Turtles saw the dinosaurs come and go and are now facing their own extinction crisis.” -John Behler

10/11/2026

This is Mittens, an eastern box turtle missing her front legs. She's one of 400 confiscated turtles receiving round-the-clock care and genetic testing. We're thrilled about a potential reintroduction plan for eastern box turtles. More updates soon on Mittens, also known as Nubby and Thumbelina!

10/09/2026

And just like that, a lifelong turtle obsession begins.

10/06/2026

This was filmed in July by TC board member , about a week after nearly 350 three-toed box turtles arrived at our triage facility.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife intercepted them at LAX, illegally poached and likely bound for China. Around 50 didn't survive long enough to reach us. In those first days, our team worked around the clock to bring losses down from dozens to just two or three a night.

Months later, the survivors are still with us. The healthiest have settled into a new greenhouse habitat, and we're working with Dr. Brad Shaffer at UCLA to trace where they were taken from, so that one day they can go home. Meanwhile, the confiscations haven't slowed: another 100+ box turtles arrived just a month after this was filmed.

Caring for them is long, expensive work, and it doesn't end when the cameras stop rolling. If you're one of the people who cares, support our rescue work at the link in bio.

10/06/2026

An unexpected surprise in our radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) enclosure! Armando found three hatchlings that hatched naturally. Typically, we find and incubate the eggs ourselves. A pretty exciting discovery for the team! 🐢

10/02/2026

These endangered beauties have a surprising fondness for earthworms, especially after a good rain. 🪱

Found only in central Myanmar's dry zone, Burmese stars (Geochelone platynota) make the most of monsoon season, when the rains bring earthworms to the surface. Just watch your fingers!

These worm-loving tortoises almost didn't make it. By the early 2000s, decades of collection for the food and pet trades had nearly wiped them out in the wild. Then in 2004, conservationists in Myanmar started a breeding program with about 200 tortoises. By 2017 there were more than 14,000, and over 1,000 had been returned to the wild. They're still critically endangered, but their recovery is one of the most remarkable turtle comebacks on record.

09/29/2026

Meet this incredible eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina). Rescued from poaching, she's thriving despite missing her front feet. What should we name her? Drop your suggestions below! 👇

09/28/2026

The three-toed (Terrapene triunguis), eastern (Terrapene carolina), and ornate (Terrapene ornata) box turtles in our care were all taken from the wild to be sold. Those from our largest confiscation spent weeks packed in socks before they were seized. Most arrived stressed and starving, and more than 10% came to us in critical condition.

Right now, our focus is simple: helping them heal. Our team is providing round-the-clock care, rehydrating and feeding the weakest, and giving each turtle the quiet, safe space it needs to recover from a traumatic ordeal. The healthiest are already settling into their new 1,440-square-foot greenhouse habitat, with soil to dig in, places to hide, and room to just be turtles again.

Meanwhile, Dr. Brad Shaffer of UCLA is collecting genetic samples to trace where they were taken from. That science is what made our first repatriation possible in 2024, and if most of these turtles can go home, it would be the largest release of its kind in U.S. history.

But first, they need time, care, and a chance to feel safe again. Help us give them that at the link in bio. 💚

In the last two months, 400 confiscated turtles have arrived at the Turtle Conservancy Conservation Center, including ou...
09/24/2026

In the last two months, 400 confiscated turtles have arrived at the Turtle Conservancy Conservation Center, including our largest single confiscation to date. Among them are three-toed box turtles (Terrapene triunguis), eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina), and ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornata), all seized by our partners at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

These are our own native turtles, taken from American forests and prairies, packed into boxes, and bound for the exotic pet market overseas. We’re seeing a troubling rise in North American turtles being smuggled out of the U.S. to China and other parts of Asia, where they’re prized as luxury pets and status symbols.

As a founding member of the AZA Wildlife Confiscations Network, we work alongside AZA and USFWS to take in, triage, and care for rescued animals like these. Every turtle now needs intake exams, quarantine, and daily care, with the long-term goal of getting them back where they belong. Genetic testing can help trace where they were taken from, and in 2024 we returned confiscated turtles to the wild in New Jersey for the first time.

This work takes time, space, and resources. To help give these turtles a second chance, donate at the link in bio. 💚

Stay tuned. We’ll be sharing more of their story in the coming days.

09/21/2026

Life moves a little slower around here — exactly how our Galápagos tortoises like it.

Come see them for yourself. Book a tour of the Turtle Conservancy through the link in bio.

09/16/2026

Four smiles to brighten your day!

These little cuties are Narrow-bridged musk turtles (Claudius angustatus), an iconic member of the mud and musk turtle family, Kinosternidae. Found across southern Mexico and northern Central America, they inhabit aquatic environments ranging from vegetated streams to ephemeral pools.

Their common name comes from the unusually narrow “bridge” where the top and bottom of the shell meet. They’re also sometimes called “Vampire Musk Turtles” for their tricuspid beak, which resembles a pair of fangs and is thought to help immobilize small aquatic prey.

Along with habitat loss and climate change, these turtles face growing pressure from the global wildlife trade. Hundreds to thousands are exported from Mexico each year, primarily to meet demand in Asia, with some taken from wild populations.

The Turtle Conservancy works closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assist with confiscated turtle triage and monitor the growing trade, helping protect species like Claudius.

Repost from Michael Skibsted.

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Ojai, CA
93023 & 93024

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Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm

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