Hello shell friends! Today is Giving Tuesday, a day dedicated to giving back to all the incredible charities that make our world a better place. We are here to remind everyone not to forget the turtles, torts and the many incredible organizations that help shell friends survive!

Here is a list of some of these organizations to consider donating your time or money if you’re able.  Each of these organizations has done incredible things for turtles and tortoises everywhere.

Let’s give the #turtpocalypse a helping hand!

dragonshadow:

Itty bitty tortoise baby. His shell length was only 38 millimeters long. I used my Aggie ring for scale. #thetortoisearecoming #tortoise #mojavedesert #wildlifephotography #iphonography #aggiering #spring #babyanimals #thedesertisbeautifultoo

so much world for you to dominate, little one. rest up!

“No Tortoise Left Behind”

Dogs and cats aren’t the only animals being rescued from the flooding in Texas and we’re glad to hear it! This Sulcata tortoise may not be excited about being on a boat, but he sure is lucky he’s out of the water.

“This tortoise was rescued Wednesday on a tugboat by Aaron Jayjack during historic flooding in the city. He looks a bit discombobulated … albeit safely aboard and secure.” – (Via TMZ)

Aaron Jayjack, you will always hold a place of honor with the #turtpocalypse.

We hope all of our Texas shell friends, and all friends and family, are safe and sound. We are sending all the good energy your way. 

If you have anything to spare here are some ways to help Texas:

For All

Just to name a few… Please feel free to add to this list! 

“No Tortoise Left Behind”

Dogs and cats aren’t the only animals being rescued from the flooding in Texas and we’re glad to hear it! This Sulcata tortoise may not be excited about being on a boat, but he sure is lucky he’s out of the water.

“This tortoise was rescued Wednesday on a tugboat by Aaron Jayjack during historic flooding in the city. He looks a bit discombobulated … albeit safely aboard and secure.” – (Via TMZ)

Aaron Jayjack, you will always hold a place of honor with the #turtpocalypse.

We hope all of our Texas shell friends, and all friends and family, are safe and sound. We are sending all the good energy your way. 

If you have anything to spare here are some ways to help Texas:

For All

Just to name a few… Please feel free to add to this list! 

(Via Susannah Bryan & The Sun Sentinal ) 

Bet you’ve NEVER seen anything like this! Tortoise rehab uses unique tools- electro acupuncture – and its working!  

This 10-year-old gopher tortoise, a threatened species of tortoise, was severely injured after she was hit by a car. She was spotted by a volunteer, struggling on the side of the road with a cracked shell dragging her back legs behind her. She was brought in to the South Florida Wildlife Center in Ft. Lauderdale where vets were able to keep her alive but her back legs she had clear nerve damage that decreased her mobility and caused her pain.

The staff at the center did not give up hope, however, instead, they decided to employ an unusual technique –  electro-acupuncture. The treatment combines electric current and acupuncture to ease pain and increase mobility. It is used more frequently on dogs, cats, horses, and humans, not on tortoises.

“She’s a little fidgety at first, but a couple minutes into it, she relaxes,” said Dr. Carolina Medina, a veterinary acupuncturist. “Acupuncture releases natural hormones from your body that make you feel good and decrease pain, so most patients feel pretty relaxed.”

image

Lucky for this gal, the treatment seems to be working. It will likely be 6 more months before she can be released back but the staff is confident it will happen. Returning her to her home, health and with strong back legs, will not only mean good things for her but allow her to borrow and lay eggs, a good thing for her entire species.

Meet Gamagorath! My boyfriend and i rescued him from an idiot who picked him up in the wild and wanted to keep him. Unfortunately, he had been in captivity for four months, without any sources of food besides green vegetables (I do know snappers need insects as well). I’m in over my head here… I don’t know what to do. I want to release him but he’s very small and I want to fatten him up but winter is coming… any advice you have would be of great help! Love your blog. We humbly request your guidance Zoya
PS his full name is Gamagorath eater of souls. He will be a great warrior of the turtpocalypse

Hello! Gamagorath and human friends!!! Thanks for messaging us! Zoya appreciates your kind words, she’s happy to know others see the greatness she sees when she looks in the mirror heeheee 

Wow you are one gorgeous little one aren’t you, Garmagorath! He is probably very thankful to be out of the hands of that kidnapper! Way to rescue him! Its so sad that people think they have the right to just snatch an animal from its habitat for their own amusement. Its simply not ok. Ever.   

So, my instinct is to get that little one back to his habitat. That’s my instinct, but we don’t have any real experience with snapping turtles and unfortunately can’t say for sure that its safe after 4 months in captivity. I would think that Garmagorath is young enough that he might be able to integrate just fine, but I’m hoping some of the turtle/ snapper experts here on reptiblr can give you some better advice! 

We do know that snapping turtle care is very detailed, not at all ‘easy’ (no turtle or tortoise care is really easy..), getting their diet and husbandry right is vital to their health and survival. Also? They grow pretty large and need to be handled appropriately (cause they’re snappers! snap those fingers look like noms!)  

Here is a care sheet from the Chicago Exotic Vet Hospital.  We can’t verify how great the info is here but we’ve heard good things about the hospitals work with turtles and torts so its the closest to a reputable care sheet I’m able to give you. http://www.exoticpetvet.com/breeds/Common%20Snapping%20Turtle.htm

Again we’re not snapper experts (we do think they’re awesome but sadly heart eyes aren’t the expertise you need! ha). I’d say, if at all possible, return your new friend to the wild (he’ll tell all his snapper friends how awesome you and your boyfriend are and you’ll definitely be on the right side of the turtpocalypse!) Keep checking this post and hopefully some of the awesome folks with snapper experience will have better/ more detailed advice for you! 

How about it, reptiblr, anyone with snapper experience that can help Gamagorath and his human rescuers out??

frivolity-kay:

Happy tortoise. Photo by me, please give credit.

YES always give credit. Thing is, we want deets! Many of us shell lovers (and SO many of the shell babies around here) want to know what it was like to be at tortoise mecca! The Galapagos! We know the history is not a pleasant one,.. but these are our older cousins! tell us shell stories!