Other Turtle Discussion :: New Diamondback Terrapin :D

[DavidY]

I feel the same way. I would love to begin breeding turtles 'cause I love looking at everyone else's baby turtle pictures and videos. They are so awesome! But I don't want to bring more RES babies into this world where the majority of them will end up sick or dying or suffering for the rest of their lives in miserable conditions. However, the DBT's seem to attract a more knowledgeable group, especially since they are more expensive. The breeder I was looking at had a waiting list for his babies! I know how to build incubators and how to handle the eggs. Hmmm, I can see a DBT breeding project in the works...

[iac637]

There are strick laws in some states about DBT's. and they are changeing all the time. thats why I said the legal way...lol... Thats the only bad thingis that they have been so over caught that now there are strick laws

[DavidY]

Hmm, I'll definitely look into that first. NH is pretty lax about a lot of things. It's the only state in New England that allows people to keep crocodilians.

I would think the captive breeding of any endangered species would be encouraged though. But I guess there's always issues of the mixing of bloodlines and possible introduction into non-native habitats. I guess that's how the Northern DBT's became so diverse in appearance and features. Apparantly, they used to catch DBT's from the south and farm them for food in the northeast. After WWI, turtle soup lost its popularity and so the farms shut down and the turtles were released into the wild, only to mix with the native subspecies. Or so the legend goes.

[iac637]

Yeah, Thats what our herp man said about captive breeding should be encouraged. But if you get the permit hopfully you know what you are doing but that doesn't really mean that you do all the time. we will see though I would love to breed and have a little store.

[Hoooneylynn]

wow those turts look awesome

[sawajo]

I went to the University of Maryland which has a DBT named Testudo as the mascot, so they have a special place in my heart! Our teams are knowns as Terps, and our newspaper is the Diamondback. Not sure which sub-species Testudo is supposed to be, but there are statues of him on campus. You rub their nose for good luck on exams! Go Terps!

http://www.umd.edu/testudo.html

Just thought you might like to know~

[sawajo]

oh and apparently they are our official state reptile! hehe I'm learning things!

http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/01gl ... ptile.html

[iac637]

Yeah I think it was cool that they are the state reptile.

[DavidY]

Yeah! Go UMD!