Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Despite my name on here i am also into turtles. I wanna know what zoos have good turtle collections. Also what kinds they have. i am very interested in rarely seen species and am also very interested in species of podocnemis genus. would love to here from you all. thanks

Wow, great question!! I've been hoping that some others would respond. The fact is, I've always been disappointed with the selection of turtles at any given zoo. Turtles seem to be a neglected class.

The Atlanta Zoo used to have a very good collection of turtles from the former Clemmys complex. They also had a decent handful of exotics, such as P.megacephalum. The only other one I know if is the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Tx. Apparently, they have a great collection of Mexican box turtle species and some exotics. They are supposed to be highly dedicated to endangered species.

I wish others would chime in. I'd like to know this info. also. I'm sorry I wasn't much help to you.

Of the zoo's/aquariums I've been to I haven't been too impressed by their turtle exhibits either. On a few occasions I have even seen turtles mislabled as the wrong species which I personally find disgraceful for a zoo or aquarium to do. Alligator Adventure in Myrtle Beach, SC has a pretty good collection of turtles living in their young crocodilian moats, including species rescued by the Turtle Survival Alliance from Southeast Asia. If you are interested in Podocnemis, the Washington National Zoo's rainforest has a pretty good size collection of Podocnemis unifilis (Yellow Spotted Amazon River Turtles), once extremely common in pet trade, now highly endangered. Casa De Tortuga in Southern California comes to mind as having the largest collection of turtles. It is a privately owned turtle sanctuary owned by a former oil tycoon. You can make reservations to go there.

-JG

Hello, I am a zookeeper at the Memphis zoo. We have 23 species of chelonians. Most are held off exhibit so that they can be provided with proper housing.

what kinds do you have at memphis? And do you know any good zoos to see rare species of amphibians? thank you

The reptile house at the Bronx Zoo has Podocnemis expansa & unifilis, an enormous alligator snapping turtle, and Fly River turtles in an awesome exhibit with False Gharials.

San Antonio Zoo has a decent turtle collection. The zoo has both P. unifilis and P. expansa. Other intersting ones there are Batagur baska, Callagur borneoensis and Geoclemys hamiltonii. There are others, but those are some of the more uncommon ones.

Here is the list at the Memphis Zoo:
Bighead turtles 2.1
Forsten's tortoise 3.3
Pan's box turtle 2.2
Nile softshell~80lbs 0.1
Spotted pond turtles 0.0.8
Smith's tent turtle 0.1
Burmese mountain tortoise 1.2
Burmese star 1.1
Indian star 2.3
Spiny turtles 2.2
Galbinifrons 2.2
Leaf turtle 0.1
Spotted turtles 2.2
Aquatic box turtles 2.3.4
Chaco tortoises 4.1.1
Radiated tortoise 1.0
Spider tortoises 5.1
Sulawesi forest turtles 3.5
Impressed tortoises 0.0.6
Fly river turtles 0.0.10
Alligator snapper 1.0
Mata mata 0.1
Homes hingback 2.1
Aldabras are coming next month

I was just there on monday and all I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!
They had about 60 podocs!! I think they were expansa, erythrocephala, and unifilis. They had huge adults all the way down to hatchlings. They have Phrynops hilarii ,I seen a huge pair breeding. Tons of different Elesya and Emydura. There were atleast 100 total , some that I have never seen before . North Anerican woods, painteds, Yellow foots, Rhinoclemmys ,green sea turtles, diamond backs, muds, and soft shells. They had well over 200 turtles. IT IS WORTH THE TRIP TRUST ME!!!!
Tom

Great, man, thanks for that! I pass by that place on my way North a couple of times a year. I always think about stopping, but never know if it's worth it. I was there once when I was a kid, and they were still constructing the place. I'll make it a priority.