Eric Akaba

Eric Akaba is a founding partner of Archelon and a breeder of rare turtles. He has kept turtles for multiple decades, and some of the turtles he cares for today he has had since childhood, now several generations on. He also works in dog and cat nutrition, which shaped how Archelon approaches formulation.

Breeding rare turtles

Eric began working with the golden coin turtle, a species from China, in the mid-1980s, starting with the grandparents of the turtles he breeds today. He is now on a third generation. He describes the species as believed to be extinct in the wild, lost to habitat destruction, collection for food and traditional medicine, and poaching. His golden coin turtles live outdoors year-round in Southern California.

He also breeds the narrow-bridged musk turtle, a species he nicknamed the "vampire musk turtle" for its tiny fang-like projections. By his estimate, fewer than ten people in the United States keep multiple breeding groups of these species.

Turtle and Tortoise Club

Eric is a former president of the Turtle and Tortoise Club, and he attends conferences alongside zoos, private keepers and conservation groups working to keep endangered turtles from extinction.

Why he built Archelon

Before Archelon, Eric pushed other turtle food companies to improve their products. When they didn't, he set out to make the food himself, and he feeds it to his own animals: "I'm not going to put my name behind a food that I'm not going to believe myself."

For Eric, captive breeding is also about conservation: keeping species going in captivity, with the hope that one day they can help restock the wild.

Eric's role in our guides

Where our feeding guides quote Eric, the words come from his recorded interviews. Read our editorial standards.