The World's Chelonians Need Help
The world is home to about two hundred and ninety different species of turtle and tortoise, but they are disappearing from the wild at an ever increasing pace.
The major causes of these declines are anthropogenic (i.e., man made), and include habitat loss and degradation due to human encroachment, incidental take, and deliberate take of species for the food and pet trade. Now global climate change is adding insult to injury.
California Turtle and Tortoise Club has been active in promoting conservation of chelonians (turtles and tortoises) since it was founded in 1964. This page provides links to articles on CTTC's ongoing and historic conservation efforts and issues of concern.
Michael J. Connor
Webmaster Emeritus
CTTC Executive Board
Western Pond Turtles
- Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project successfully increases endangered population
- February 7, 2008: Good news for San Onofre State Park - the California Coastal Commission voted to deny the permit to build a toll road through the state park.
- San Onofre State Park Threatened by 6 Lane Toll Road. The Toll Road will disrupt San Mateo Creek, Home to One of Orange County's Last Populations of the Western Pond turtle.
- Western Pond Turtle habitat in Southern California
Sea Turtles
- Nine distinct populations of Loggerhead Sea Turtles now protected
- Award-winning Green Sea Turtle nesting map
- Assessment of Sea-Turtle Status and Trends: Integrating Demography and Abundance. The pdf version of this book is available as a free download.
Deepwater Horizon Disaster
- Gulf of Mexico Sea Turtle Network
- Daily Fish and Wildlife Report
- Daily Update from STRP
- BP and Coast Guard Halt Burning of Endangered Sea Turtles in Gulf Oil Spill Clean-Up
- NMFS is considering another exemption to the ban on longline fishing. CTTC sent a letter opposing this.
- NMFS considers designating Critical Habitat for the Leatherback Sea Turtle of the coast of California
- Support the California Coastal Commission in protecting sea turtles!
- CTTC comment letter on a proposal by BNP Petroleum Corporation (Corpus Christi, Texas) to drill three gas production wells within Padre Island National Seashore, Kleberg County, Texas
- CTTC letter opposing an exemption to allow longline fishing along the California and Oregon coast in habitat for the critically endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle
Chelonian Conservation Articles
- DNA analysis reveals living descendants of Geochelone elephantopus - the Floreana or Charles Island Giant Tortoise
- Galápagos Tortoise Conservation - Pinzón
- Green Sea Turtle
- Egyptian Tortoise
- Map Turtles
- More articles are available in the Chelonian Archives
