Bolson Tortoise

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18,850 Acres of Critical Wildlife Habitat Secured in Northern Mexico!

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18,850 Acres of Critical Wildlife Habitat Secured in Northern Mexico!

The Turtle Conservancy, HABIO A.C., Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC), and Rainforest Trust partnered on a deal to purchase an 18,850-acre former cattle ranch in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert, which will be converted into a desert-grassland wildlife refuge. Endemic lizards, critically-endangered Bolson tortoises, migratory birds, and a variety of resident mammals are among the many species of animals set to benefit from the preservation of this biodiverse landscape, showing again how saving turtles can save the planet.

This habitat bolsters the land the Turtle Conservancy and partners protect for wildlife in the region to 62,439 acres, nearly 4 ½ times the size of Manhattan!

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News From the Field

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News From the Field

In early May, TC Board Chair Anders Rhodin and TC field programs director Peter Paul van Dijk visited Mexico to evaluate progress in management of the Bolson Tortoise Ecosystem Preserve by the TC’s local affiliate HABIO, A.C. Working with HABIO’s treasurer Judith Rios, progress was made towards full-time management of the Preserve, while we also continue to work towards possible future expansion of strictly protected areas for Bolson Tortoises. Among the highlights were the opportunity provided by our colleague Gamaliel Castañeda to give presentations to a large gathering of students and staff of the Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango at Gomez Palacio; Anders spoke about the conservation status of tortoises and freshwater turtles world-wide, while Peter Paul spoke about the opportunities and challenges of private protected areas for biodiversity conservation... 

Killing the Endangered Species Act

Killing the Endangered Species Act

As if turtles and tortoises don't already have enough to worry about--predators and poachers and climate change--now they're about to be dealt a serious blow by Congress and the Trump Administration in the form of a watered-down Endangered Species Act.

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Bolson Tortoise Preserve Update

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Bolson Tortoise Preserve Update

In mid-June, a team of researchers from TC and HABIO, TC’s Mexican sister organization, spent nearly a week in Mexico’s Bolson de Mapimí to survey the Critically Endangered Bolson Tortoise. In 2016, HABIO and TC purchased the 43,000-acre San Ignacio Ranch at the heart of Mexico’s Bolson de Mapimí desert plateau; at the time the ranch was understood to be inhabited by a good population of tortoises, but no systematic population survey has ever been carried out…

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Turtles in Trouble

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Turtles in Trouble

With half of all turtle and tortoise species threatened with extinction, turtles are one of the world’s most endangered vertebrate groups. A new report from the Turtle Conservation Coalition—a collaborative partnership of leading turtle conservation organizations—highlights the world’s 25+ most imperiled tortoise and freshwater turtle species, and the conservation opportunities to prevent their extinction.

2017 Year in Review

The Turtle Conservancy has purchased and protected over 53,000 acres of critical habitat including 43,540 acres in Mexico for the Bolson Tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus), 1,000 acres also in Mexico for Goode’s Thornscrub Tortoise (Gopherus evgoodei), and 900 acres in South Africa for the Geometric Tortoise (Psammobates geometricus). Further, it has helped to outright purchase 26 acres and protect 7,363 acres for the Palawan Forest Turtle (Siebenrockiella leytensis) in the Philippines.

This is the core of what we do and who we are. We could not have reached this milestone without your support. As a small NGO, every dollar donated goes directly to our work in the field, including land purchases. These critical land acquisitions help stem the tides of agricultural/urban development, destruction of indigenous cultures, and climate change. Not only do we protect turtles and tortoises, but also a whole host of biodiversity including jaguars, pangolins, leopards, caracal, parrots and thousands of other animal and plant species.

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New Tortoise Enclosure

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PHOTO CAPTION: Armando Jimenez and Angel Reyes with two young Bolson Tortoises.

The latest guests to check in to our Southern California Conservation Center, three young Bolson Tortoises (Gopherus flavomarginatus), are adjusting to life inside of their expansive, new environment. These tortoises came to the Turtle Conservancy last month from a robust assurance colony at Ted Turner's Armendaris Ranch in New Mexico. The Turtle Conservancy and Turner Endangered Species Fund are collaborating on a trans-national effort to protect this tortoise from extinction, which will include reintroducing the species in key locations of its former range in the United States.

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