THEY AIN'T CHICKENS

The January, 2010 issue of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Magazine had an informative article titled Asia's Wildlife Trade ... "Insatiable demand for the traditional medicines, exotic pets & culinary delicacies drives a multibillion-dollar business -- legal & illegal -- that is emptying forests, fields & seas".

Believe what you want about Global Warming -- I am going to try NOT to make this in any way political -- but I am a firm believer the human population on planet Earth has surpassed the number of people the Earth's resources can adequately sustain.

I'll leave all the particulars & details to Al Gore. I'll go with what I see & know. We have too many people on this planet.

The referred-to article above highlights one aspect of over-population; people are capturing, killing, eating & selling -- much of it illegally -- the plants & animals of our world. Many species are almost extinct. Others -- if measures are not taken -- will disappear in the next decade, if not sooner.

One group of animals being decimated -- are you ready for this ?? -- TURTLES !! They have long been captured & taken for the pet trade, & now, are a main staple on the dinner plates in many Oriental countries.

As populations of people increase, so does the demand for turtles. As the turtles become scarce or non existent in their own country, turtles in other countries are "harvested" & exported to meet the demand.

Turtles are becoming rare in many places where they once were common. It's happening right here in the United States. Literally millions of turtles are being shipped overseas each year.

A chicken can be farmed. It takes a couple months to grow a saleable bird. A turtle takes 10-15 years to reach a reproductive size. Take even a few turtles from a lake or pond & the ability to maintain the population is dramatically reduced. Take a few hundred & the population is doomed.

Some people are trying to do something to help. As a person who has had turtles as "pets" -- something they really are not, but that's a subject for another time -- for about 58 years as I can best figure, I am a member of a group called the Turtle Survival Alliance.

The main goal of the TSA is to prevent populations of turtle in the wild from being eliminated, as well as captive breeding to maintain species which might not survive in their native state.

I have several dozen turtles, of various species, in my collection. They are maintained in large cattle tanks, with filtered water, heat, special lighting & provided proper food & vitamins. It's not the old plastic dish with a green palm tree.

The turtle species I am "working with" is the Hamilton's Spotted Pond Turtle. [Okay ... for the scientist's & "need-to-knows" in the readership, the proper name is Geoclemeys Hamiltonii.]

This is a turtle originally from Pakistan & India. It's been basically eaten to extremes in the wild & in many places where it occurred, is no longer found in any sustainable number. Blame it on the Oriental food markets.

I have a Federal Permit from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to own & keep these turtle in my collection. I can trade, sell, & transport these turtles across state lines ... only with other permit holders ... which would be mostly zoos & museums which might have these turtles. From records & discussions, I believe I am the only individual/private citizen who has the necessary permit.

Each year, as a permit holder, I have to submit a report to Fish & Game as to the status of the "Hammy's" in my collection. Trust me ... the Federal Government may not be able to figure out health care, but they sure can keep track of endangered turtles.

Two years ago -- with help from the TSA, I was able to acquire two male Hammy's from the zoo in Denver Colorado. The intent was/is to breed my large female & produce more turtles -- "to sustain the species."

The new guys did their best efforts. What ever the testosterone of turtles might be, they have more than enough. I think these guys would try to mate with army helmets.

Quite often it got a bit too rowdy & I have had to keep the turtles separated a lot of the time. Still, my female laid eggs last year ... but ... in the water. All I found were egg shells, as the eggs were a meal for the turtles in the "pond".

So far this year ... no eggs. Maybe I did not let the turtles go on enough "dates" together in 2009.

"We" will keep trying.

After all ... it's not like raising chickens.