I am Michael (MRT to friends) and this site is a platform for me to share my obsession with you and the rest of the world. I hope, if I am lucky, to have you falling deeply and madly in love with these gentle creatures so you will become a champion for their future.

My mission - To enable more people to embrace the hobby of caring for turtles (turtles refers to aquatic, semi-aquatic and land dwelling species) and help them be successful in that journey by getting them started with healthy animals and appropriate care information.

Supporting turtle rescues in the United States - There are many amazing organizations out there that tirelessly work to find a good home for captive turtles (or confiscated turtles) that need a helping hand. The organizations that I am proud to support are

1. Turtle Rescue of Long Island - http://www.turtlerescues.org/index.htm
2. Central Florida Wildlife Center Inc. - http://www.turtlerescueusa.com/wordpress/?page_id=4
3. Central MS Turtle Rescue - https://www.centralmsturtlerescue.com/ and
4. Mid-Atlantic Turtle and Tortoise Society - https://www.matts-turtles.org/

A software engineer by profession, when I am not busy at work or being a dad I am busy with something or other with regards to chelonians. As a member of the Sacramento Turtle and Tortoise club I have been helping with questions of fellow club members or other hobbyists and help rehome chelonians that their owners cannot care for anymore. I am a Director and volunteer wildlife rehabilitator with the Bidwell Wildlife Rehabilitation group in Chico, CA and help rehabilitate all the turtles and tortoises that come to their doors. I love talking about turtles and answering questions about turtles and I am always glad to help folks take better care of their pet turtles or tortoises. I also participate in local public outreach programs that focus on animals, especially wildlife, and work in educating the public about California’s native chelonian species and their current status. When time permits I also visit local schools with my chelonians and do short presentations to educate the kids about the worlds chelonians.

Long winded version of who I am :)
My name is Michael and I like turtles. Scratch that, I LOVE turtles. Born and raised in India, I grew up listening to the local myth that turtles are bad luck. India is a country where exotic animals are not kept as pets, in fact there was very little awareness among people about the native wildlife but thankfully that is changing as we speak. The little exposure I had to chelonians came in the form of visit to zoos or from watching the small group of Star tortoises and an unknown aquatic species of turtles that were raised at the school that I attended. Maybe that’s where it all started?

I always had pets but there never really was any strong desire to raise a reptile as pet. But that all changed in 2001. Feng Shui became a big hit in India in the late 1990s and with that there was an overload of turtle figurines at stores. Maybe it was the rebel in me, or the abundance of curiousness, but I couldn’t help but wonder how turtles can bring good luck for our neighbors in China and bad luck to Indians. I decided I would find out when the opportunity arose and managed to purchase two young red-eared sliders, probably smuggled into the country along with ornamental fishes. Since then I have not looked back. What started in 2001 as a curious experiment, if you will, turned into a serious obsession and has matured into a focus on chelonian conservation.

I am an active member, and one of the Directors, of the Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group (TTPG). I invite you to come join us and share your passion with other hobbyists in the Unites States and around the world.

I am also an active member of Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), Turtle Conservancy and theTurtleRoom and encourage you to check out these organizations.