Spilling the tea on turtle and tortoise preservation
Wendy 
“There will be some bloodshed.” Think tortoise breeding is all slow-motion romance? Think again. Forsten’s Tortoises are vocal, violent, and incredibly picky about who they date. Wendy Montroy sits down with breeder Stephen Sifuentes to pull back the curtain on one of the most aggressive yet rewarding species in the hobby. From the high-stakes “supervised … Read more
They are violent, they are beautiful, and they will absolutely bite your toes if you’re not wearing shoes. In this episode, we dive into the intense world of Forsten’s tortoises. In this episode of Turtle Tea with TTPG, we go deep into the world of the Forsten’s Tortoise (Indotestudo forstenii). Host Wendy Montroy sits down … Read more
Join us for International Turtle and Tortoise Week™ (ITTW) , April 20-24 2026! Host Wendy Montroy welcomes TTPG founder Russ Gurley and Ashley Rademacher, the Director of Animal Care and Education at Zoo Med Labs, Inc. ITTW provides FREE educational packets to thousands of students across fifteen countries. Educators of all types, homeschoolers, teachers, 4H … Read more
In this episode of Turtle Tea with TTPG, Wendy Montroy and Cameron Lamb discuss the practicalities of breeding and raising Three-toed Box Turtles. Cameron explains his preference for starting with hatchlings to better understand the natural history and care of the species before moving into breeding and producing offspring. The conversation covers the entire lifecycle, … Read more
Ever wondered why a Three-toed Box Turtle might actually have four? Wendy Montroy and Cameron Lamb dive into the quirks and care of these favorites. In this installment of Turtle Tea, host Wendy Montroy sits down with TTPG board member Cameron Lamb to explore the fascinating world of the Three-toed Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis). … Read more
Born in San Jose and raised in Gilroy, California, Steven’s journey began in the 6th grade, after receiving his first Russian tortoise from his science teacher. He has been keeping and breeding tortoises since middle school. In 2019, after years of keeping “a little bit of everything,” Steven made the decision to focus his efforts … Read more
Unlock the secrets of breeding Bog Turtles as we break down everything from egg laying to hatchling care. In this episode, Wendy chats with Raul Gonzalez about the challenges and rewards of working with one of North America’s rarest and most coveted turtle species. Raul pulls back the curtain on his breeding program, sharing everything … Read more
Born and raised in Southern California growing up catching alligator lizards, fence lizards, king snakes, rattlesnakes, etc. I cannot recall a time that I was not keeping reptiles or outside looking for them. Growing up as the youngest of five, I received a lot of support from my parents to grow my passion for reptiles, … Read more
Tiny, elusive, and fighting for survival – Bog Turtles are one of North America’s most endangered reptiles. In this episode, host Wendy Montroy sits down with Raul Gonzalez to explore the fascinating and often stressful reality of working with bog turtles (Glyptemys muhlenbergii), a species few people ever encounter, let alone care for. Raul shares … Read more
Ralph Till and Turtle Tea host Wendy Montroy Back in the late 50’s and into the 60’s (yes I’m that old) I was fortunate enough to live in farm country in northwestern New Jersey. Each summer was spent crawling thru endless swamps, ponds, streams and rivers looking for any reptile that I could find. While … Read more