Eric Goode

Eric Goode’s passion for the natural world, especially reptiles, began at the early age of six when his parents gave him a Greek tortoise for his birthday. Over the past five decades, his interest in reptiles and especially turtles and tortoises has never waned.

Eric has had extensive experience studying the natural history of turtles and tortoises in captivity and in the field. In his youth, he spent countless hours hiking in the California backcountry looking for snakes, lizards and turtles. At the age of 13, he had the privilege to go into the field and briefly study under the renowned herpetologist and UC Berkeley Professor, Robert C. Stebbins. In the early 1970’s, Eric was one of the founding members of the Bay Area Turtle and Tortoise Club.

Eric’s fieldwork continued in the US and abroad extensively, exploring the deserts of the Southwest, as well as, Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Brazil, Ecuador, The Galapagos, India, Myanmar, Mauritius, Greece and Japan. On his most recent expedition to Madagascar, Eric participated in the IUCN Red-Listing workshops to reevaluate the status of the endemic turtles and tortoises of the region. Eric has traveled into the field with some of the world’s most renowned turtle and tortoise biologists and scientists such as Gerald Kuchling, Russell Mittermeier, Robert C. Stebbins, Peter Paul van Dijk, Anders Rhodin, Jim Juvik, and Ross Kiester.

Eric has personally captive bred over 20 species of endangered, including critically endangered, chelonians; Geochelone platynota, all four Pyxis species, Geochelone radiata, and Manouria impressa, to name a few.

With the founding of the Behler Chelonian Center in 2005, Eric’s focus is increasingly being directed towards turtle conservation initiatives around the world. Having personally witnessed the decline and virtual disappearance of so many once common species that he grew up with in his home state of California, he is determined to make a difference in both his own back yard and others. With two-thirds of the world’s turtles and tortoises threatened with extinction, Eric has made it his personal mission to do whatever he can to save some of the last remaining populations.

Eric has had an unorthodox career path, creating three parallel lives as an artist/film-maker, a restaurateur/hotelier, and most importantly, as a naturalist/turtle conservationist. Fortunately, these simultaneous paths have enabled him to have the means and access to establish the Behler Chelonian Center, as well as initiate vital conservation projects around the world with an emphasis on habitat preservation.

Maurice Rodrigues

Maurice spent his youth seeking out the wildest parts of the northeastern US. His passion for reptiles and amphibians blossomed at the age of 6 when his father gave him a box turtle he had found crossing the road. Despite growing up in urban environs 18 miles from New York City, Maurice’s first turtle ignited his passion for finding and hatching turtle eggs from threatened nests that would have otherwise been destroyed. He then went on to earn a degree in Natural Resource Management, Wildlife Science from Rutgers University. Maurice’s unwavering interest in wildlife, especially turtles, led him to the Bronx Zoo where he volunteered for eight years under the mentorship of John L. Behler. During this time, he completely renovated the aquatic filtration and lighting systems in the reptile house and installed the Zoo’s first reverse osmosis system which then allowed for unprecedented breeding of amphibians. Through his experience at the Zoo, Maurice established his continually growing turtle network.

While volunteering at the Bronx Zoo, a serendipitous circumstance led to a fruitful collaboration and friendship, Maurice’s meeting with Eric Goode. Eric called the Zoo to seek help with a fish tank at one of his Manhattan restaurants and Maurice happened to be there. While working on the tank, Maurice and Eric discovered their mutual interest in the conservation of turtles and tortoises.

In 2002, Maurice conceived of the Tewksbury Institute of Herpetology to promote turtle conservation through captive breeding and education. Unfortunately, after three years the organization was still not sufficiently focused on conservation, which was Maurice’s initial vision, so he left the Institute. Shortly thereafter, John Behler approached Maurice and Eric with the proposition of continuing the 30 year old turtle and tortoise program that the New York Zoological Society was terminating on St. Catherine’s Island, Georgia. Thus the Behler Chelonian Center was born.

John L. Behler

1943 - 2006

John L. Behler, was the Curator of Herpetology at the Bronx Zoo from 1976 to 2006. Recognized as a leader in the world of turtle conservation, he co-chaired the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Specialist Group, and was a founding member of the Turtle Survival Alliance. He studied Radiated Tortoises in Madagascar and Wood Turtles in Pennsylvania, and sounded an early warning about the increasing trade in Asian turtles.

John was the author and co-author of a number of books, including the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians, Reptiles (National Audubon Society First Field Guide), Alligators and Crocodiles, and Frogs: A Chorus of Colors.

Click to read John's presentation "Troubled Times for Turtles"