Commercialization of Graptemys gibbonsi

By Chris Lechowicz

5/24/04, Updated and revised 10/9/06

  Commercialization and exploitation of Graptemys is widespread in the United States. They have become more popular than ever in the pet trade. With more species becoming protected and the unavailability of most of the Gulf Coast species by dealers and breeders, the price has escalated as well as the demand.

  Currently, one species is being heavily collected because it is “rumored to become protected” in the near future. Graptemys gibbonsi, the Pascagoula Map Turtle or the Pearl River Map Turtle (as named by the dealers) is currently being sold by most of the wild-caught turtle dealers as well as some of the supposed  “Captive bred” turtle dealers.  I personally have seen countless numbers of adults and juveniles being offered for sale at reptile swap meets, reptile distributor price lists and online classified ads. The current unpublicized feeling is… “Let’s catch as many as possible before they become protected and we can’t legally take or sell them anymore!” It is this type of attitude that will cause the rest of the Gulf Coast species to become protected as well (not a bad idea). It has been said for a long time that all the Gulf Coast species should be protected.

     A possible reason for the discrepancy between the names’ Pascagoula Map Turtle and the “Pearl River Map Turtle”, G. gibbonsi, is because of where the collectors are catching these turtles.  The currently recognized common name for G. gibbonsi is the Pascagoula Map Turtle. The dealers are using the name "Pearl River Map Turtle" because they want you to believe they are all coming from the Pearl River. The collecting laws are strict in Mississippi and not as strict in Louisiana. Most of these wild-caught turtles are coming from the Louisiana range of the river but due to overzealous collecting, G. gibbonsi has become depleted in many sections of the river. Some collecting is probably occurring in Mississippi on the Pearl and Pascagoula Rivers to make up for the depletions in Louisiana. Also, the same dealers have been collecting large numbers of Razorback Musks (Sternotherus carinatus) and River Cooters (Pseudemys concinna), which also occur in the Pearl River. The Pascagoula is a much smaller river than the Pearl and is located in Mississippi only. It would cause more attention to law enforcement and biologists if these turtles were being labeled Pascagoula Map Turtles. The Pascagoula River also contains G. flavimaculata, the Yellow-blotched Map turtle (a federally threatened turtle), which is one of most beautiful, and sought after turtle in the world. The Ringed Map Turtle, G. oculifera (also a federally threatened turtle), is found in the Pearl River but does not have as strong of appeal to the latter. 

    Large female G. gibbonsi are being held back by the collectors (the people actually collecting them from the wild) to be sold to turtle farms and breeders and therefore are demanding a higher price. I do not know what can be done about this. One can only hope that the turtle farms that receive these adults will actually breed them. However, the trend leads towards hanging on to them long enough to get their eggs in order to later sell the hatchlings as “captive born”. 

     In my experience, very few people have ever bred any of the broad-head map turtles: G.barbouri, G.ernsti, G.gibbonsi, G. pulchra. I have always considered it to be the "ultimate wrong" to take the adults from the wild, especially the females. Males can become mature in just a few years, but females take a long time (12-20 years) to get there. These animals must be left in the wild.  It is unrealistic to think that many have taken the time to raise hatchlings to breedable, adult females.  A few zoos and aquariums have actually bred these turtles in captivity as well as a few individuals. However, most, if not all of these were harvested as adults.  

     As of recently (10/9/06), the problem has not gotten better. Currently, several degenerate, unscrupulous dealers have continued to sell wild caught G. gibbonsi of all sizes. I have noticed that the prices have soared. Prices such as 1 male and 3 females for $900 or $400 a pair, along with headings like "These are VERY uncommon in personal collections and hard to come by" have shown that people are making money from exploiting endemic wildlife. 

  After speaking to one dealer recently, I found out that a lot of people are having problems acclimating their animals. Many are dying due to fungal infections and adult females are refusing commercial foods (trout chow, Reptomin, etc.). This is no surprise due to the fact that adults have been eating mollusks, crustaceans, gastropods and insects their entire life and most are "set in their ways". This is a complete waste of a natural resource and it needs to end now. When events such as this take place, no one should ever have to question why an animal that appears common in some areas is protected. It is very simple, if you don't protect it, you will lose it. I have written both states about the problem and hopefully this animal will be protected in the near future.

     If anyone would like to comment on this editorial, please send it to chris@graptemys.com.