Yellow Belly Slider



Tampa Bay
Turtle & Tortoise
Society, Inc.


Saw-Shelled Snake-Necked Turtle



Monthly Newsletter
March 2021 Issue

Meeting Date: March 13, 2021, starts at 7:00pm.
Guest speaker: Bill Murray, owner/operator of Redfoot Ranch. Bill has been a fixture in the
turtle/tortoise world forever. We are still doing a Zoom meetings at this time. Ralph will send
everyone the sign-in and password as the time draws near and is for current members only at this
time.


Misc Notes
Please update your email information with Ralph Till at rascal1843@aol.com. We only use this
information for club business and it helps for club members to stay up to date on any last minutes
changes that may occur. It will also help ensure that you receive your electronic copy of our
monthly newsletter.
If you would like to submit an article or pictures to be published in the next upcoming newsletter,
please email it to Kim at sparty@tampabay.rr.com. Please submit by the end of the month to be
published in the next month’s newsletter.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any of the officers listed below:
Elected & Appointed Officers
President - Ralph Till
727-515-7443 Rascal1843@aol.com
Vice President – Mark Randall
20smoke@mindspring.com

Treasurer/Membership - Ralph Till
727-515-7443 Rascal1843@aol.com
Secretary/Public Relations - Kim Illum
sparty@tampabay.rr.com

Newsletter Editor – Mark & Kim Illum
sparty@tampabay.rr.com
Facebook Coordinator – Ralph, Mark R & Kim
https://www.facebook.com/groups/704741876316303/
New Website under construction:
http://www.tbtts.org/

RALPH'S RAMBLINGS
Hello Everyone,
Thank you to all of you who tuned in last month for our monthly meeting on Zoom. We had a pretty
successful "show and tell" and it was great to see what species some of us are working with. We also
attracted a guest from the Calusia Herp Society showing us his Coahuilan box turtles (thanks Chris). All in
all, a fun night despite some audio issues.
February 27-28 was Repticon at the Tampa fairgrounds. I did not attend, but would love to hear from
any members that did.
I'm sure that most of you saw the huge dilemma that south Texas and neighboring areas faced with the
extremely cold weather. We all need to be aware that unexpected situations like this can fall upon us at
any time. When we make the decision to keep turtle/tortoises in a captive environment, it becomes our
responsibility to ensure their safe keeping at all times.
The warmer weather has finally reappeared! Start planning on your outdoor enclosures, either updating
them or maybe just a little spring cleaning. Remember that turtle/tortoises are escape artists, we all
have those stories.
Our guest speaker this month is our good friend Bill Murray, owner/operator of Redfoot Ranch. Bill has
been a fixture in the turtle/tortoise world forever and I'm expecting a great talk.
I'd like to thank the individuals who donated a few baby turtles for our turtle tank at the Park. They're
doing great.
Remember to tune in on Saturday evening, March 13th at 7:00 on Zoom. I'll send the link in a few days.

Regards,
Ralph Till
Rascal1843@aol.com


Hi Everyone.
First, I wanted to say that on 3/16/21 at 8pm, I will be a podcast called What the Shell by Swamp Life
Reptiles. I believe that it can be viewed on here: https://www.facebook.com/swamplifereptiles/
I am going to talk about the area that I handle for the rescue, surrenders & adoptions.

Second, Central Florida Wildlife Center/Turtle Rescue USA will be having its 1st ever Spring on-line
auction. The auction is to help raise funds for veterinary and care expenses for sick/injured animals. All
proceeds from the auction will go directly to our rescue.

Shipping is in the US only. Some items too big for shipping, will be local pick up only, as we don’t want
big shipping costs taking too much away from the proceeds. Items will be marked this way you know
whether to bid on it or not.
Payment via Paypal only.

Request for Donations: We are reaching out to see if anyone would like to donate any items / services
for the auction. NOTE: it does not have to be turtle/tortoise related. Send an email to Kim at
turtlerescueusa@gmail.com subject line: Donated items for Spring 2021 Auction and include:
1) Picture of item
2) Description of item
3) Estimated value of item
4) If you are willing to pay for the shipping or if you want the winning bidder to pay for shipping
5) Your Facebook User Name
NOTE: If you would like to ship your item to me instead, you may do so, just let me know and we will
work out the details.

You can also a Facebook Message to ME (Kim Inzerillo Illum) privately containing all of the info above.
Since sometimes Facebook messages go into another folder and can be missed is the reason why I
suggested emailing me. The reason it is going to my person messenger instead of the rescue messenger,
we need to make sure the rescue messenger does not get inundated with donation requests /
questions, running the risk of missing a wildlife injury/rescue/surrender.

Donations will start to be accepted on March 13 and the last day for donations to be accepted is April
23rd 2021.
The On-line bidding will START April 24th 2021 @ 10AM EST and will END May 1st 2021 @ 1pm EST.

As donations start to come in, I will post them to the album located:
album location will be posted in next month’s newsletter since it has not been set up just yet
PLEASE DO NOT BID until the start date. If they are, the bids will be DELETED.
You will need to make sure that you liked our page in order to view the album.
The album will explain how the bidding process works once it is created.

Please bear with us as this is something new that we are trying for the 1st time.

Also if you don't want to donate anything but would still like to make a monetary donation, the paypal
email address is turtlerescueusa@gmail.com
Thank you for your support.

Regards,
Kim & Amanda
Central Florida Wildlife Center / Turtle Rescue USA
Upcoming Club Speakers
April 10, 2021 – TBD
May 8, 2021 – TBD
June 12, 2021 – TBD
July 10, 2021 – TBD
August 14, 2021 – TBD
September 11, 2021 – No speaker, this is our annual auction - pending
October 9, 2021 – TBD
November 13, 2021 – No guest speaker, this is our annual election night (current members only)
December 11, 2021 – No guest speaker, our annual Christmas party (current members only)

NOTE: If you would be interested in doing a talk, pls contact Ralph Till at Rascal1843@aol.com for
additional information.
Upcoming Club Events

Upcoming reptile shows
Repticon Kissimmee – April 17th & 18th 2021
Repticon Tampa – June 12th & 13th 2021
Repticon Orlando – July 17th & 18th 2021
Daytona National Reptile Breeders Expo – August 19th – 21st 2021
Repticon FIRE show – TBA
Repticon Kissimmee – September 25th & 26th 2021
Repticon Tampa – November 13th & 14th 2021
Repticon Orlando – December 4th & 5th 2021


Turtles/Tortoises Videos
Snapping turtle vocalizations and nest emergence:

https://cottagelife.com/general/snapping-turtle-vocalizations-and-nest-
emergence/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=organic&fbclid=IwAR1hzyplyeoUfRXoD1QQtVQ-
pRBif0LkT-DEfsaNlNUa204PNY_bGJdsXOc
Garden art, stepping stone turtle:

https://rosannesgarden.com/2019/04/16/garden-art-a-stepping-stone-
turtle/?fbclid=IwAR3YznlfkD_oOR5z5nnSnxeSreUwMHaFOLox9JGrvsD0cu4f5-d8TKooWIw


Turtles/Tortoises in the News
Disabled Loggerhead Turtle Yu Chan Fitted With Amazing Prosthetic Flippers (PHOTOS):

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/turtle-prosthetic-flippers-yu-
chan_n_2670244?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008&fbclid=IwAR36_SCaUIBdOxAAq0qKrSnWl25JTiFXCkKMy8
0QywvDRfm1L831aRrmE_8&slideshow=true#gallery/5bb1325ce4b09bbe9a5c2bdb/0

Beloved decades-old reptile recovering after attack at San Jose preschool:

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/01/30/70-year-old-african-tortoise-a-beloved-preschool-
pet-beaten-and-stabbed-by-assailant/?fbclid=IwAR1hzyplyeoUfRXoD1QQtVQ-pRBif0LkT-
DEfsaNlNUa204PNY_bGJdsXOc

Sea turtle sculpture at Venice Beach encourages recycling:

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2021/01/22/new-interactive-sea-turtle-sculpture-at-
venice-beach-encourages-
recycling/6666685002/?fbclid=IwAR3ioOT9B3lmrPhogghpcRhfADsggLkMhWtWf9GktMBCwAGJWMwX1
5MQefY


Kidz Korner

Turtle/Tortoise Tender Tales (rescue stories)
I wanted to share this rescue story with the hopes that this educates owners out there.
I took in a sulcata, who I am going to call Miss White. I don’t want to put her real name as I am not sure
who might know the previous owner and don’t want to feel like I am putting them out on blast.
However though by some of the details they might figure out that this is their tortoise I am talking
about.
Miss White came into the rescue on 1/23/21. She was a little over 3 yrs old and about 8 lbs.
She was doing great, eating, moving around the enclosure so I adopted her out on 1/30/21.
The following day I got message that Miss White was doing great in her new surroundings moving
around and ate a bunch.
Then several days later the new adopter reached out to me and said that Miss White was making a noise
and the noise sometimes came when she was soaking her and trying to go the bathroom. I told her that
I hadn’t noticed any noise during her stay with me but maybe she was a little constipated from being
moved around, on better food, or something like that. I told the adopter to give her more watery food
like cucumbers, sopping wet veggies, softer foods and to make her soaks a little longer and warmer.
Then the next day or so Miss White started passing sand.
On 2/5 the new adopter called saying that they were taking Miss White to the vet. She had stopped
eating the day before and was not moving much that morning seemed kinda limp and didn’t eat. The
vet did x-rays and it showed that the Miss White had a huge kidney stone, was severely impacted, and
calcium deprived. They recommended euthanasia as this was very painful for her. The new adopter
called me, I told her to pls don’t do that. Let me get a 2nd opinion and to get the tortoise back. There is
so much more to this but am going to shorten this part.
The new adopter surrendered Miss White back to us on 2/6 so that we could get her the help needed.
Upon arrival our licensed wildlife rehabber started administering hydrating fluids, pain meds and tried
getting the bowels moving.
On 2/11 Miss White saw another vet agreed that there is a huge kidney stone in there and for
something of that size it would have taken a very long time for that to form. She was also impacted with
sand and small rocks. They scheduled surgery for her on 2/13 to remove everything that they possibly
could do.
As our rehabbers worked on Miss White, I reached out to the previous owner to get additional info on
the tortoise they surrendered, and we now are fighting to save her life against time and important they
answered my questions. They came back with a lot of info which makes sense as to why she had a very
large kidney stone at a young age.
2/13 Miss White had a successful surgery. They were able to remove the kidney stone and get a good
portion of the stuff causing the impaction out. However, she was still lethargic from everything that was
going on with her tiny little body.
On 2/15 Miss White unfortunately passed away.

So here is the educational part in all of this. The previous owners were feeding her a commercial dry
pellet food and one of the worst brands that you can give a tortoise. If you don’t soak that type of food,
when the tortoises eat it, it causes severe dehydration. If you don’t soak your tortoises like you are
supposed to, it makes that type of food so much worse, thus potentially causing kidney stones like it did
for Miss White. The enclosure that she was previously in was mostly sand, little bit of grass and did have
rocks. Since Miss White was not be given calcium in some sort of way and was calcium deprived, this
caused her to eat rocks and since the rocks were in the sand causing her to eat the sand as well now
having an impaction on top of everything. Her kidney stone was so big itself that it was stopping the
flow in her digestive system.
There are so many other things that you can feed your tortoise, there really is no reason to give them
the commercial pellet food. If you do have to give them one, then really research out the brands. I know
that Zoomed makes a food that is dried grass base and I believe that some have dried flowers in it too. I
also know that a lot of people feed mazuri tort food too which is ok, but for some species it is too high in
protein for them. We have had sulcatas that were surrendered being feed the mazuri food and their
poop looked like complete diarrhea. Once we started giving them the food they should be having, it
finally firmed up to what it should be. However with that being said, it does need to be a slow process as
their systems is not use to processing the richer food and that in itself can cause a little impactions until
things get flowing properly and use to pooping more solid waste instead of liquid waste.




Yellow circle is the kidney stone. Red circles in the impactions X-ray after surgery






Miss White in her adopted home for a few days

Thanks for the read and this was one of the ways that I could think of honoring Miss White’s short lived
life and telling her story in the hopes that it saves another one that could possibly be on the same path
as her.

I wanted to give a huge thanks to Kim & Crew w/ Swamp Girl Adventures Reptile Rehabilitation for
everything they did with trying to save this little girl’s life. Getting her to the vet for surgery and taking
care of her pre and post surgery.



Regards,
Kim
Central Florida Wild Center/Turtle Rescue USA
www.turtlerescueusa.com
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/turtlerescueusa











Classified Section
You may place your animals, items, services that you have for sale in the club’s newsletter. Ads will
run month to month and you must renew it for every month that you would like. Ads are free to up
to date/paid members, or $5.00 per month ($8.00 for 2 months) for non-members.

Adoptions
Looking to re-home out your reptile? Place a free ad for any reptile that you are looking to adopt
out (free ads are for reptiles which does NOT have a re-homing fee).

Advertising Rates
1/8th Page = $8 per issue or $75 per year (savings of $21).
1/4th Page = $11 per issue or $100 per year (savings of $32).
1/2 Page = $16 per issue or $150 per year (savings of $42).
Full Page = $25 per issue or $225 per year (savings of $75).
Pricing includes art/graphics/color, however you send the advertisement will be published in our
electronic newsletter.

Please email over the Classified/Adoptions/Advertisement info by the end of the month to: Kim at
sparty@tampabay.rr.com
All payments for advertisements should be sent directly to:
Moccasin Lake Nature Park
c/o Tampa Bay Turtle & Tortoise Society, Inc.
2750 Park Trail Ln.
Clearwater, FL 33759







Other Herp Societies
The Turtle & Tortoise Club of Florida – Orlando Chapter
Meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7pm
Location: Oakland Nature Preserve, 747 Machete Trail, Oakland, FL 34787
Suncoast Herpetological Society Inc.
website: http://www.kingsnake.com/suncoastherpsociety/SHSHome.htm
meets on the 4th Saturday of the month at 6:00pm.
Location: Moccasin Lake Nature Park 2750 Park Trail Ln. Clearwater, FL 33759
Central Florida Herpetological Society
website: Centralfloridaherpsociety.org
meets on the 4th Sunday of every other month at 2:00 PM but you want to be there between 1:00 -
1:30 PM for parking
Location: Orlando Public Library, Downtown Branch, Anderson Room 3rd Floor, 101 East Central
Blvd Orlando, FL 32801
Calusa Herpetological Society
website: calusaherp.org
meets on the first Thursday at 7:00 PM
Location: In the Iona house at the Calusa Nature Center
Jacksonville Herpetological Society
website: jaxherp.tripod.com
meets first Wednesday of every month at 7:30 PM
Location: Museum of Science and History (MOSH), Museum circle, Jacksonville, FL




Membership and Newsletter subscription form
Annual membership fee: $20.00 per year, and the membership includes:
- Electronic Monthly newsletter sent to your email address
- Free Classified’s in newsletter (members only) as well as low cost
advertisement rates.
- Annual Auction, Christmas Party, and Office Elections
- Monthly Meetings in an indoor classroom setting that consists of the
following:
- Different guest speaker each month
- Raffle Prizes
- Info about upcoming events/reptile shows/field trips/etc..

Date/Time: Meets the 2nd Saturday of every month at 7:00pm
Meeting Address: Moccasin Lake Nature Park 2750 Park Trail Ln.
Clearwater, FL 33759
NEW: We now accept PayPal for membership fees: president@tbtts.org
Complete the form below and bring it with you to the next upcoming meeting
or mail it along with payment to:
Moccasin Lake Nature Park
c/o Tampa Bay Turtle & Tortoise Society, Inc.
2750 Park Trail Ln.
Clearwater, FL 33759
Check one:
_______ New Membership _______ Membership Renewal
Name: _________________________________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zipcode: ___________________________________________________________________
Email: _______________________________________ Phone#: ________________________________

NOTE: We would never sell or trade your information. This information is strictly for club use only.
Answer Key