The Calusa Herpetological Society Of Southwest Florida

Thursday, April 4, 2013 - 7:00 pm

SPEAKER & TOPIC: Tonight's speaker is Bill Turner from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (based out of Tallahassee).  William (Bill) M. Turner received his B.S. from Erskine College and M.S. in Biology from the University of South Alabama. From 2003 to 2007, he was the Herpetological Coordinator for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. In Wyoming, he conducted statewide surveys for amphibians and reptiles, focusing on emerging amphibian diseases and the impacts of resource development native reptiles. Since 2007, he has been the Herp Taxa Coordinator for FWC in the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation. He has conducted research on native amphibians and reptiles in Florida, Alabama and Wyoming that has resulted in several published papers and reports.

        Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) occur in estuarine habitats and salt marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from Cape Cod, MA to Corpus Christi, TX.  There are five sub-species in Florida: the Carolina diamondback terrapin (M. t. centrata), the Florida East Coast diamondback terrapin (M. t. tequesta), the mangrove diamondback terrapin (M. t. rhizophorarum), the ornate diamondback terrapin (M. t. macrospilota) and the Mississippi diamondback terrapin (M. t. pileata). Terrapins have lost suffered habitat losses, predation, harvested for soup, and drowned in crab traps, but when the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill threatened ornate diamondback terrapins in the Big Bend Area, a private citizen’s interest in protecting them helped start a research and monitoring effort that continues today. This is our story of learning to find terrapins, studying a large population of them, and building Terrapin Underwater Breathing Apparatuses. Some of the data collected in the past three years will be presented, including preliminary data from a collaborative research effort between the University of North Florida and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that is funded by a Conserve Wildlife Tag Grant from the Florida Wildlife Foundation, Inc. Also, T.U.B.A. will be on display. FWC has recently partnered with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation to help research diamondback terrapins in Pine Island Sound.

See you there!

HO'S INVITED ? You are! Anyone with an interest in any aspect of herpetology or herpetoculture is welcome to attend, learn, and exchange their experiences with our friendly membership. Come out to meet others who keep, breed or study reptiles and amphibians, and let them share their fascination with you. We average 35 – 70 people attending every meeting.

Cookies and cold soda, a nightly raffle of live herps, herp products, and books follow each speaker's talk, and lots of herp camaraderie, gossip, and fun can be counted upon at all meetings !

For more info , call (239) 728-2390 or (239) 481-3525 or  EMAIL: info@calusaherp.org