organized by
EFTBA (European Freshwater Turtle Breeders’ Association)

Paris, March 23 - 25, 2007

location: Salle du laboratoire d’entomologie du
Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle
45 rue Buffon, 75013 Paris
(near the train and subway station „Gare d’Austerlitz“)

General and housing information

The convention is dedicated to increase and distribute our knowledge and understanding of breeding freshwater turtles in captivity. The presentations will contribute to that purpose. There will also be presentations focusing on related subjects/topics such as biotope/habitat descriptions, travelogues and conservation projects.

We try to keep costs for food and accommodation low. For finding a hotel room please contact

Benjamin Leprince
E-Mail: emyduramather@hotmail.fr

IMPORTANT: Conference language will be English only.

Current updates on the conference and the program can be found at: http://www.eftba.org

Registration
Every participant must register in advance. Registration should be by email until no later than March 11, 2007. Registration applications should be addressed to:
Dr. Harald Artner, Maria Ponsee 32, A-3454 Sitzenberg-Reidling, Austria
E-Mail: dr.h.artner@aon.at

IMPORTANT: participation cannot be guaranteed without registration in time!
Attendance fees in EURO (€): Non-members: € 30.-, EFTBA members: € 20.-
Payment is done directly at the conference.

The symposium is free of charge for speakers.

Preliminary Program

Friday, March 23

20:00 Mata Atlântica, the maritime rainforests of southeastern Brazil, biotope of Hydromedusa maximiliani – Oliver Römpp, Dewangen, Germany and Harald Artner, Sitzenberg-Reidling, Austria
Both speakers have repeatedly studied biotopes of Hydromedusa maximiliani in southeastern Brazil. Their presentation gives insights into the habitat of one of the worlds most interesting and most specialized turtle species.

OPEN END

Saturday, March 24

09:00 Welcoming speech – Harald Artner and Benjamin Leprince
Harald will address the reasons and goals of the convention whereas Benjamin will focus on the logistics of the whole weekend.

09:15 Successful breeding of the Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata in northern France – Francois Charles, Lille, France
The keeping and breeding of the Spotted Turtle are given in detail. The turtles are mostly kept in an outdoor enclosure in the author’s garden in northern France. Strategies for better reproduction rates are presented.

09:45 The Spotted Pond Turtle Geoclemys hamiltonii, a beautiful but rare turtle species from southern Asia – Andrea Luison, Latina, Italy
The heavily endangered Geoclemys hamiltonii is listed in appendix I of CITES. The author, who lives near Rome presents his experiences with the successfully maintenance of this wonderful turtle and also shows data of other keepers on its successful reproduction in captivity.

10:15 coffee break

10:45 From the Mountains to the Marsh - turtle habitats in the Potomac Basin – Peter Paul Van Dijk, Reston, Virginia, USA
This talk of the world renowned conservationist and herpetologist will focus on the turtle fauna of the central East coast of the United States. It covers no less than 9 turtle species from Glyptemys insculpta in the Appalachians to Malaclemys in the Chesapeake Bay area.

11:30 Keeping and breeding the Mississippi Mud Turtle Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis – Stefano Redaelli, Milan, Italy
The keeping and breeding of the Mississippi Mud Turtle may not be something highly special, but in reality it is not an easy task. Stefano Redaelli, a very experienced breeder and book author will show us how it works.

12:00 lunch break

13:30 Excursions – Benjamin Leprince, Paris, France
Benjamin plans to take us to a large Parisian turtle dealer’s facilities and afterwards to the turtle facilities of the Paris Zoo. Finally he will take us to dinner in the heart of Paris.

18:00 dinner

20:00 Freshwater turtle habitats in Venezuela – Jan Michels, Bremerhaven, Germany
Jan Michels, a renowned turtle specialist from northern Germany, who has travelled the world in search for turtles herein, presents us his observations during multiple turtle trips to the wonderful South American country Venezuela.

OPEN END

Sunday, March 25

09:00 Freshwater turtle species bred in the “Parc A Cupulatta” – N.N., Ajaccio, France
The “Parc A Cupulatta” on the French island of Corsica is one of Europe’s largest turtle breeding and conservation centres. Although it mainly focuses on tortoises, they also breed quite a number of freshwater turtle species.

09:30 First time breeding of Herrera’s Mud Turtle Kinosternon herrerai in captivity implementing results of studies in its natural habitat in Veracruz, Mexico – Harald Artner, Sitzenberg-Reidling, Austria
The title says it all…

10:00 coffee break

10:30 Breeding the Giant Snake-neck Turtle Macrochelodina expansa – Oliver Römpp, Dewangen, Germany
Oliver is probably the best Chelodina and Macrochelodina breeder in the world. His presentations are widely known and appreciated for their clear messages and fantastic photographs. He will explain how to chill the eggs of M. expansa in order to break their diapauses.

11:15 Galapagos – Andrea Franzoi, Venice, Italy
The only talk on tortoises will take us to Ecuador’s Galapagos archipelago where evolution has produced a lot of strange species including the world’s largest tortoises, Geochelone nigra. Andrea Franzoi has been there lately and will tell us his impressions.

End of the conference at approximately 12:00 noon.