I purchased the domain Graptemys.com in 2001 due to my interest and infatuation with the turtles in the Genus Graptemys. My passion for this group of turtles started in elementary school from studying my treasured herp books such as Conant’s The Peterson Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern/Central North America (1975), Smith and Brodie A Guide to Field Identification of Reptiles of North America (1982), Zim and Smiths A Golden Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians (1956), and of course Ernst and Barbour Turtles of the United States (1972). It wasn’t until my freshman year of high school (1986) that I obtained a copy of Pritchard’s Encyclopedia of Turtles (1979) from a good friend as a gift. I gawked at that book, behind glass, for several years before I was able to bring it home to learn about the turtles of the world.
Graptemys.com was a functioning websitem although very basic, with very descriptions and photographs of all the map turtle species. Due to family, work, and basic life changes, I have not had the time to put the effort into making this site what I always thought it should be. I took it down a few years ago for those reasons plus the fact that it was very out-dated. I am slowly adding information to the site currently. In the meantime, Dr. Peter Lindeman published The Map Turtle and Sawback Atlas (2013), which I consider to be a masterpiece and cannot be outdone. If you have any interest in map turtles, that book is a must-have…. nearly EVERYTHING known about the natural history of map turtles (at least up until 2013) is in that book and summarized.
Previously, the website had species descriptions, a conservation issues section, a news section, a forum to discuss various topics about these turtles, and a bibliography. I plan to have most of those sections back, as well as a few more sections in greater detail. I will also expand the scope of the website to encompass other areas concerning map turtles. The purpose of the website is foremost to act as an educational tool to give people an easy-to-access resource of known information about these amazing turtles. I hope when the website is more developed, that all interested parties will find something useful there. This website is not for one particular group of people but for scientists, students, naturalists, turtle hobbyists/breeders, youths, and anyone who has an interest in turtles and ecology in general, etc.
I have been asking for photographs from mostly wild map turtles for the website from various people, however, some photos are just not possible without using some captive turtles. This site will be so much better if people contribute photographs naming the species, river, county, and state for wild turtles. I will certainly not post the exact locations of any turtles publically due to the ongoing issue of poaching and smuggling of turtles for the international pet trade. However, I believe naming the river system or tributary is adequate. This is the best way to show variation within a species or even a river system. I have almost limitless room for those photographs, so send as many as you like. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
All enthusiasts of Graptemys play a part in the conservation of these species. There are many threats to map turtles, as well as other riverine species due to people’s manipulation and use of the waterways that these turtles use. Although many harms that are done to these species are unanticipated or non-purposeful (run-off from development, agriculture, storms, etc., the creation of dams, removal of dead wood piles along the bank for safer boat travel, fishing bycatch, bank stabilization projects, seawalls, boat strikes, heavy ATV use on nesting beaches, and constant disturbances of basking turtles from passing boats that reduce the time they spend basking), many are purposeful such as target practice (turtle plinking), purposeful road mortality while searching for nests, commercial collecting of adult and subadult turtles, and the belief that turtle numbers are infinite and not finite.
To ensure the future of Graptemys in perpetuity, all sides must work together to give these turtles what they need in nature to sustain.
Instead of having a full website launch date, I will just post sections as they get completed. Enjoy!
Chris Lechowicz
chris@graptemys.com