Tiny, Vulnerable Tortoises Discovered by Science for the First Time!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- #turtle #tortoise #gardenstatetortoise
🚨Read the official release for this new tortoise here: ojs.herpetolog...
New species are discovered every day but very rarely are they turtles and tortoises. As the planet’s most threatened group of invertebrates, it’s almost impossible to think there could be something new out there. Well, that has all changed with the discovery of a brand new type of tortoise hailing from the country of Libya! Meet the tiny Tripolitanian tortoise which we happen to have right here at Garden State Tortoise. In this video we reveal this fragile, gorgeous animal to you all while introducing you to some of the people who not only took the wheel in guiding science to its discovery but who are also making sure they’re here to stay.
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Who is Garden State Tortoise? 🧐
However you made it here, thank you and welcome to Garden State Tortoise. Garden State Tortoise is home to hundreds of animals from all around the world. We are a family dedicated to adventure, conservation of wildlife, and all things nature. We are a reptile rescue and breeding facility for more than ten years, offering refuge to those who need it, and working everyday to protect the beautiful world of reptiles in any way we can. Here on our TH-cam channel you will be able to join us on our animal adventures while learning how to care for, protect, properly identify, feed and even breed many species of turtle, tortoise, snake and lizard. We even work with frogs and salamanders! We hope you enjoy our videos and help us share them with the world so we can continue to educate people of all ages about herpetology.
Chris and Casey Leone
I will NOT be embarrassed for geeking out over this! Hello E1! I hope the world wakes up and CARES for these special critters.
Hahah yes!!
Congratulations Paul, all that hard work paid off, a new addition to the tortoise community we can all appreciate! Congratulations to Mark as well, amazing accomplishment and I hope this is a strong indicator it can be done again. Chris your enthusiasm is off the charts turtles, and if I’m remembering correctly, you hold this group as your nearest and dearest? Thanks for the mini class, very excited for you.🐢💕🥂👍
Totally agree!
Thanks so much! It really was a team effort. 🙌🏻
Nothing better than scientifically nerding out with GST on a Sunday morning! This is so exciting!🐢❤️
Thanks Lori!
This channel kickstarted my love of tortoises
Same!
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Wow! I always look forward to sunday mornings for a new GST video. But as someone who is beginning work with Greeks and really deep diving the sub species, this is incredible! The shout out to Gendika really helps me too, because I've been trying to figure out where to go to test mine. So, it looks like I need to get that going. Great work by Paul and Mark, and thank you Leone's for sharing with us!
Thank you for the kind words. We're glad this information is helpful to you!
Yall ( THE TURTLE SQUAD ) are doing magnificent work 🎉🎉 keep up the work 👏🏻 😊
Thanks, we really appreciate that!
Turtle power!
I love Mark's shirt!!! This is so cool! I love how citizen science can bring about new studies and information coming to light.
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This is very exciting!! Congratulations to all!!!
Thanks for watching! 😊
Gorgeous tortoises. They are all so beautiful ❤
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Congratulations to everyone involved with getting them recognized!
As far as hybridization, I'm on the fence and can argue for and against it. I'm 100% for maintaining species/bloodline purity for the exact reasons you gave. I also don't have an issue with hybrids IF they occur naturally in the wild. On the flip side of the latter argument, I'm sure it does happen naturally BUT how much of that hybridization is occurring naturally vs how much is it forced by humans encroaching on the animal's territory?
I'm not sure that's something we can ever fully know, especially for a species we didn't even know existed 10 years ago.
Thank you!
Unfortunately with western Hermann’s tortoises in particular it is 100% humans releasing unwanted eastern Hermann’s tortoises into their native range.
Wow! Absolutely incredible! Well done!
Thank you very much!
Wow! Learned a lot from your video again. Thank you🙏🙏🙏
You are most welcome! 😊
Amazing news!!! Thank you and Casey for sharing this news.
Thanks, it was a great moment to be able to share!
@GardenStateTortoise You're welcome 😊
Those babies are adorable ❤
🐢❤️
I have to be honest and say that a lot of that went right over my head. But I did enjoy seeing the excitement and enthusiasm in all of your faces. You, Mark, and Paul are all brilliant at what you are doing. Keep that up. Love you all 🎉❤
Fair enough! Thank you 🙏🏻
Very exciting video, Chris and Casey!
You’re clearly on the front lines re: tortoise conservation.
Crucial work indeed and as important as this work is, in and of itself, is your dissemination of it via your TH-cam channel.
Chelonian Nation is growing! 🐢🐢🐢
Kudos are certainly in order for Paul and Mark on their significant contributions.
Thanks so much! We really appreciate the kind words, Chet!
Just more wonderful turtles for us to love!
You betcha!
Paul you accomplished something that was thought impossible. Thank you for bringing them for Chris to see. And the DNA research was so interesting. Those two babies are very precious. Cindy
It was a real team effort. 🙌🏻🐢
Chris, Paul, and Mark -- great work! It was beautiful to see all these subspecies on display, the hatchlings of the Tripolitanian and Cyrene tortoises side by side, the storytelling, the facts as we currently know them, and the urgency to understand and conserve these animals.
Thank you so much! We're so glad you enjoyed it.
Chris + Casey 🐢! What an interesting & an amazing episode. Everything about the Turtles getting here & the trouble with the different bloodlines was just so interesting. That is great news for the species & keeping it genetically pure. Honestly Chris this just proves how important the work you do is so necessary. Thank you again 🙏 for a very informative episode❤
Ugh hhhmmmm is that like eugenics?? Pure breeds means you have to inbred! Might be why a lot of them died in captivity. They're being inbred in captivity which makes them weaker! They're breeding them to their sisters and brothers. Maybe even their aunt and uncle or mother and father. They don't know what they are messing with! It's very saddening
Agreed…very important work.
Umm no, you’re extremely, extremely off and you clearly didn’t pay attention to what was said in this video. This is not in your wheelhouse and comparing species/subspecies to breeds is a rookie mistake. My advice would be to look up the definitions of both and then retry that comment. Take care.
Thank you! So glad you were able to grasp this, unlike some unfortunate souls…👇🏻
My science class is having us do a paper about citizen science projects so I'm going to do my paper on this one! I'm so happy the timing worked out that you guys posted this video and then a week later I get this assignment. Just wanted to share this with you and thank you for sharing this topic!
That’s fantastic! Good luck with your paper!
@GardenStateTortoise Thank you!
How weird is it that 2 turtle nerds who live in 2 different places have the same colored walls. Must be a turtle thing. Lol😮😮😅😊😊😊❤❤❤
😂
😂
Great job paul!!!
You know it! 😎
I've watched your videos for a long time, I wanted to learn how turtles and tortoises were suppose to be taken care of not just thrown in a box full of grass and expected to survive,I really cant remember there names even though I try but I have a heart when it comes to them so I appreciate all I have learned and continue to learn from you and your wife so thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support! 🙏
Hey! Just have one coment for this!
I LOVE TURTLES!!!
best wishes from sweden!
Thank you! You too!
@@GardenStateTortoise As i am from Sweden there isnt alot of this going on here sadlly. I am doing research about some species that can live mainly indoors but also i can bring outside in the summer when the temperature is high enough,
Just keep this up because it keeps me motivated!
Yes, the worst winter nights can get to -40 degrees where I live. I want to learn about how to keep a tortoise that must come in the house for a long winter.
@@nightyew2160 I agree. And there is another problems. getting the supplies needed isnt like "going to the local store" here. we have a different electrical system and alot of what is basic care items in america is not to be found here.
take your time (as i am trying to) to make sure you make the best decisions you can! best wishes!
Omg. Cuuuute baby tortoises!
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Oh my gosh, this is so exciting! Thank you so much for bringing us this information! And these are some really cute little creatures! All round and chonky 😍 those Babies are ridiculously adorable! Thank you again and congratulations to everyone involved!
Thanks, they are pretty cool aren't they? 😁
What an awesome win for citizen science!
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This is such exciting news! Thank you for sharing this wonderful news with all your followers. I also wanted to tell you it was wonderful getting to meet you at the expo today. I was extremely excited.
Thank you for sharing your excitement and for stopping to say hello! 😊
I have never been interested in turtles or tortoises in my 30 years being alive, but I found your instagram today and am now so far down a rabbit hole these guys are SO COOL!
GST….My favorite part of Sundays!
It really is. 😊
Me too!! I so look forward to it!🐢❤
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Thanks for all the tips on your channel and all the educating you do. They are really helpful.
You're very welcome! Glad they're helpful. 🙌🏻
Amazing and congratulations ❤
Thanks, it was a very exciting discovery! 😊
What a beautiful little tortoise! Very interesting video and congrats to Paul, Morab (sorry if I butchered that name), Mark, and everyone else that made this happen! I'm from the Chicago area and yeah, the Field Museum is awesome. I'm happy they stepped up to assist.
Very ,very cool❤❤😮😮
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Please note this is a new subspecies not a new full species. But still exciting news.
Subspecies is within the species and part of the species complex and the fact that it as noted as a subspecies constantly in the video makes it a given. Thanks anyway. 👍🏻
Absolutely fabulous news…a near impossible task well done by everyone involved. Congratulations…they are beautiful.🖤🇨🇦
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Fantastic 🎉😮
Thank you 🙏🏻
Greetings from Spain where we have a endemic subspecies, of Testudo Graeca Graeca, specially in Almería and Murcia. Another different one can be found in Huelva but very different in size and color.
I guess you know it Chris because you imported some fron the canary islands
Thanks for sharing! Never imported any graeca from the Canary Islands but I do know of the animals you’re mentioning.
Thank you Chris for your reply! You're right and you imported Testudo hermanni hermanni from Spain. I knew about you through your website hermanniheaven and I read it there.
I,ve been breeding tortoises for more than 30 years and I still learn from you.
wow! this is so cool on so many levels - new species to science, new knowledge on how to care for them, and the first tripolitanian tortoises born in the usa are beautiful perfect little biscuits. i hope the hatchlings get matching names, they're twins! herman and sherman? rocky and sandy? olive and fig? i can already tell they're well socialized and they trust humans to treat them gently, not afraid at all of being handled even though they were jiggled around a lot during filming. you love to see it.
Who else thinks the production of gst is brilliantly put together ❤
That made our week, thank you!!
Awesome day
Thanks for watching!
I‘m so impressed! 🎉 😊❤🐢
That was exciting. Have you seen the Podcast which first brought all thus to us about a new species? Thus was a great follow up to that Podcast and the hatchlings were the Cherryville top. I got chills just hearing and seeing the end results.
Thank you!
So, how does a new species come about? Cross breeding? Evolution? Or was this species never noticed and documented before? GST Sunday morning's are turtley awesome 👌
Great Question! Usually it's isolation between two populations, so they don't breed together, so over generations pick up unique characteristics. The separation could be spatial, but could also be behavioral maybe they breed at different times.
Speciation is fascinating! ❤
I would like to know!
You asked the questions I was asking lol ty 🐢
It has always been here, it was just undocumented and researched. That’s how Chris already has some as well as other keepers.
If there’s a big enough population of a distinct different animal and genetics to back up the difference that the species.
I want the answer too
they're awesome and tiny
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Can we have a live web cam of the Egyptian torts?
JUST A BAAAABY!❤
Wonderful Conservation 👑😏😚💜
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Where are the links for the paper etc.
Can’t believe I forgot that. Here it is: ojs.herpetologica.org/index.php/bah/article/view/279/145
he said he incubated them to be males, but he never got the chance to say whether they were male or not. I'm assuming they were?
With most tortoises, you can't determine sex until they are several years old. When he said he incubated for male, he likely set the incubator to a specific temperature. Certain temps tend to encourage either male or female. It's not an exact science and we likely won't know if it worked for several years
@@blip-2024 oh I see. Thanks for the information :)
@@blip-2024 Interesting, so a tortoise's sex isn't determined by chromosomes?
Tortoise might be slow when compared to a hare but its the same as comparing a sedan to a super car going to the airport. They can still make a lot of ground real fast.
That's a great analogy.
Okay so basically what you're doing with the dna is building a family tree but for turtles
How is it differentiate to others? What are their definitive markings? As I see on the video it matches perfectly with the over abundant "Syrian Tortoise" that is widely accessible here in uae. In fact i have three of them. Would love to know more on them Chris
These animals are quite different from Syrian animals which are not even part of this western clade. Syrians are much different in both appearance and genetically. They have a larger size, up to 8-9”, are more elongate, have less distinct markings, much larger heads and limbs and darker skin color for the most part. Tripolitanian tortoises are tiny, 4-5”, have extremely bold dark coloration and vibrant ground color along with tiny heads and thin, fragile limbs.
@@GardenStateTortoise thanks chris. It is really confusing with how the information on them (Syrian) are out there but hard to determine which is true. I saw articles before saying that they only size up to 4-6, some 6-8. I try to get factual information about them but it just confuses me more and the same goes with my fellow tortoise keepers here in UAE.
Anyway, i love this new Tripolitanian. Just hoping that it will not impact them so much as now that we have another small species alternative for egyptians.
Intro:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Tortoise!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Tortoise!
Heroes with a cracked shell --
Joisey style!
In this episode of "Terrapins Splinter didn't kidnap and brainwash into ninja teens--!"
Hi I've been binging your videos and decided to go for a western tortoise. In a video you mention always having kept them in groups.
I wanted to ask If I only have space for 2 is it better to keep 1 or a pair. And because they are not widely available in the UK mostly they are about 6 months to a year. So I wouldn't know the gender
Wow, someone had zero fantasy when naming these!
Tell us your fantasy for naming them all.
Why was no one in the states willing to work willing to work with them 🤨, this is people don’t like credentialism
Unfortunately there is great lack of respect for the private sectors from institutions which in the end only hurts the animals. It is within the responsible parts of the private sector that the most valuable information is obtained.
I love sub sp, people who don't are lazy 😂
😂😂
Same in Asian box turtle. New species in the list Coura philippinensis
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Hi when will we get name of the new leopard taste
I’m not sure what you mean….leopard tortoises were once split but have now been grouped to all be the same. I don’t agree with it but it’s what’s been done.
Everybody shut up, my favorite show is on!!
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in nature where will this new species live if someone turn it loose into the wild will it live ? will it be a invasive to other wild species ?
This species is native to Libya only. In captive management the animals are not suitable for release anywhere, nor should they be released.
Aren’t those animals supposed to be brumating during the NJ winter?
Not tortoises that come from North Africa. A NJ winter would kill them. These go through a much different, mild cool down that has to be artificially created.