Meet Our Animals!
The Great Swamp Conservancy has 3 captive animals that help us educate people about the natural world. All of our animals are in captivity because they are no longer able to survive in the wild. As a reminder, it is illegal in NY to take an animal out of the wild to keep it as a pet.
Phil
Phil is a red eared slider. Red ear sliders are native to the Mississippi Valley in the southern United States, including Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. Phil loves to spend his days swimming, he would swim all day if he didn’t get tired! He became a part of the GSC in September of 2019.
Tammy
Tammy is a painted turtle. Painted turtles are the most widely distributed turtle in North America and are native in NY. They live in permanent freshwater habitats such as ponds, lakes, marshes, and creeks. Tammy loves to eat shrimp and spends most of her time thinking about the next time she will get to eat a shrimp! We originally thought Tommy was a male but that quickly changed when a volunteer found an egg floating in her tank. She joined the GSC in October of 2019.
Franklin
Franklin is also a painted turtle. Turtles have a shell that is made of bone and is connected to the spine and ribs. Turtles also have a hard beak that allows them to chew, but they prefer to swallow their food whole. Franklin spends almost all of his time basking under his heat lamp! Franklin joined the GSC in November of 2019.