The Triumph of Turtles in Urban DFW
Carl Franklin, Texas Turtles
Turtles have roamed the earth and occupied its waters for some 230 million years. Theirs is truly an 
example of evolutionary success! The southeastern United States is recognized as a global hotspot for turtle diversity and with 31 species. Texas is home to nearly half the turtle diversity of the United States, with 18 species known from the DFW area! Join us for a turtle eye candy presentation celebrating the conservation, diversity, ecology and natural history of these interesting reptiles and the role they play in our portion of the state.
Carl J. Franklin of Texas Turtles has held a lifelong fascination and passion for herpetology with a keen focus on turtles. Over the past 26 years, he has worked at the herpetology departments of the Fort Worth Zoo, Dallas Zoo and the Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center at the University of Texas at Arlington. He has assisted in and conducted numerous herpetological scientific collecting expeditions in Ecuador,
Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Java, Sumatra and the United States that have contributed to new breakthroughs in science as well as the discovery of hundreds of new species of amphibians and reptiles. Aside from working within the scientific field of herpetology and being included among the primary authors contributing to Texas herpetology, Carl has bred and maintained several species of reptiles and received the Joseph Laszlo award for outstanding contributions in herpetoculture. He is an avid outdoorsman, photographer, frequent speaker for a variety of audiences, and has worked with a number of television documentaries showcasing reptiles. He is also a member of the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group.
The November 2021 Chapter meeting:
Date: Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Schedule:
6:30 Camera Roll
7:00 Introduction and Announcements
7:20 Featured Presentation
8:45 Adjournment
Photos provided by Carl Franklin. Photo of Carl with alligator snapping turtle by Andrew Brinker.
COVID INFO
Please participate at the level you’re comfortable. We’re excited to meet in person, but we don’t take this decision lightly. We expect all attendees to consider the health and well-being of their fellow attendees and comply with all policies.
- MASKS are required at Dallas College in accordance with the Dallas County Risk Level Red.
- The room will be set to allow for SOCIAL DISTANCING (4 people per table for maximum capacity of 100).
- HAND SANITIZER will be available.
- Food and drinks will not be provided, but you may bring your own.
Or continue to participate from home! The user experience will remain the same on Zoom. Register for the Zoom meeting here. You do not need to register for Zoom if you are attending in person.
You will be asked to fill out a COVID-19 Screening Form if you choose to attend in person. If you would like to review in advance, it can be found here. Texas Master Naturalist COVID-19 Response.