David T. Kirkpatrick - Turtle-Keeper/Writer


A Constant Source of Enjoyment....

Our Collection of Turtles and Lizards

My wife Catherine and I are avid reptile fanciers, with an emphasis on turtles. Currently we maintain a collection of about 40 animals, many rescued from pet stores or adoption programs. Our focus is on semi-aquatic and land turtles (my favorites are mud and musk turtles). We are members of a number of herpetological societies, and have both served on the Board of the New England Herpetological Society. I have written turtle-related natural history and captive care articles for a number of different publications.


My articles are available for reading on this web site. If you have questions about keeping turtles, please check my list of articles for information that might answer your questions. In the last year or so I have been receiving an increasing amount of email questions, but my free time has decreased dramatically. While I try and answer as many as I can, it is not always possible to do so. Questions that concern topics I have already written about are the least likely to be answered. Also, keep in mind that I am not a veterinarian, and am not qualified to help with injuries or illnesses. Contact your local vet, or a local herpetological society to find an appropriate veterinarian.


Sections of these pages were last revised on..... August 11th, 1999


Check out my articles. Most of the published articles are here, and some have photos and diagrams.


A system extension to convert your cursor to a turtle (Macintosh only)


Check out our current list of animals

Check out a bunch of miscellaneous photos of our animals.


Check out some of these other Web sites:

For information on a wide variety of reptiles, check out Melissa Kaplan's site. This site also includes a list of herpetological societies and veterinarians.

Another site with a wealth of information is the Herpmed site.

Two sites with links to practically everywhere else (herp-related) you might care to go are Reptile Rage and Jennifer Swofford's The Basking Spot.

A resource invaluable to me for many years is now available on the web: Frank Slavens' Inventory of Reptile and Amphibians in Captivity. If you keep any herps at all, you should submit info to him!

This site has been accessed: times


dtkirkpa@email.unc.edu