Photo Credit: ©WCS A head-started female Siamese crocodile nesting in the wild

In a huge win for conservation, the first ever nesting behavior has been observed by reintroduced female Siamese crocodile that resulted in two hatchlings! The hatchlings are now being headstarted by the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The authors note: “While collecting eggs for incubation in May 2022, we were able to identify a unique series of notched tail scutes on a female C. siamensis as she aggressively defended a nest.

“From these markings we determined the female was hatched on 11 August 2012 (age = 9.75 years) and released in March 2014. A camera-trap placed at the nest on 11 May 2022 and recovered on 5 July 2022 recorded 1724 images.

“These images indicated the female remained in attendance at the nest throughout the monitoring period. Camera-trap imagery captured eight nest repair events and two nest defense events; during the later the female defended the nest from village dogs.”

They have managed to reduce the mortality with their headstart program by an amazing 90%! To read the paper and full story, click here.

This is a prettily colored albino Giant Asian Pond Turtle
The times?

They have changed.

And they have changed BIG time.

Herp species that used to cost $10 or $20 are now priced in the hundreds or even the thousands of dollars if they are available at all.

Why, you may ask have prices changes so radically? Two major reasons are species population control by origin countries and a stricter adherence to International Wildlife Laws by our US Fish and Wildlife Svc.

Compare these hurdles to yesteryear when the collecting, importation and exportation of many (if not most) herp species were basically unregulated.

An example would be one of my very favorite Asian turtle species, the Giant Asian Pond Turtle, Heosemys grandis Before the turn of the century Thailand (Bangkok was a MAJOR collecting, clearance and shipping center) the sales and shipping of this turtle species were basically unregulated. Young examples, meaning those in the 4 to 6 inch shell length range, arrived at USA dealers on almost every shipment. The price for those of normal color was in the $50, range (albinos, of course, were more expensive). If you want a normal color morph today (2024) start saving . At this writing, no young ones seem available but several 15+ inch long adults are being offered at $950 each.

Capable of living in water or on land the Giant Asian Pond Turtle may be found along bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and canals. It is omnivorous and finds food in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Their diet consists of worms, larvae, insects, snails, carrion, and aquatic and terrestrial plants. Hungry captives do not hesitate to dine on turtle companions. Similar to other species of turtles, the giant Asian pond turtle has developed adaptations and different techniques for capturing prey in both types of environments.

A bit more about this impressive species: This turtle species attains a full size of 17” straight measure. In nature it inhabits waterways as diverse as rivers and streams to swamps, marshes, and rice paddies.

The dark carapace may be brown or black, the yellow plastron is heavily streaked with radiating dark lines. The jaws are powerful and in closing I’ll simply say “although they seldom go out of their way to bite, watch where you place your fingers”.
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