DOCSLIB.ORG

Turtles of New York State

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Turtles of New York State urtles are unmistakable in appearance, their Turtles’ shells are import- unique double-shelled armor distinguishes ant for defense, protecting them from all other vertebrates. In New York these generally slow-moving TState, there are 11 species of freshwater or land reptiles from many predators. turtles and one saltwater/brackish water species. ˝e upper shell is called the Slow-growing, long-lived reptiles, turtles can carapace; the lower shell is the take ÿve to 20 years to reach sexual maturity, and plastron. can live up to 70 to 80 years. For most species, the cara- In New York State, turtles nest from late May pace and plastron are covered to early July, depositing eggs in sand, gravel, lawns, with a series of scutes (or Carapace of plates) laid out in a symmet- cropland, sphagnum moss or sedge tussocks. Eggs Wood Turtle incubate for about two to three months, with rical pattern. Growth of the hatchlings beginning to emerge in mid-August. shell is o˜en marked by a series of concentric rings or However, sometimes the late hatchlings overwin- annuli, which can be counted to determine age. How- ter in the nest, emerging a˜er the spring thaw. ever, since growth nearly stops a˜er the turtle reaches For many turtle species, the sex of the turtle is maturity, this method of determining age works best determined by the temperature at which the eggs for the ÿrst 10 to 20 years. incubate. Warmer temperatures usually produce Although a turtle’s shell may protect it from many all females; cooler temperatures usually produce predators, it does not protect against cars and trucks. all males. Identifying the sex of a turtle is com- Many individuals are crushed each year, especially fe- monly done by looking at the shape of the bottom males searching for a nest site in the gravel along road- shell—°at for females; concave for males. ways. Combined with habitat fragmentation by roads and developments, this has led to signiÿcant declines of many turtle populations. carapace (upper shell) scutes (plates) Plastron of annuli (rings) Wood Turtle annuli plastron (lower shell) Wood Turtle Shell By Alvin R. Breisch and John L. Behler Reprinted from the New York State Conservationist, February 2015 Turtle art by Jean Gawalt / Layout & Design by Frank Herec To subscribe, call 1-800-678-6399 Spotted Turtle (Special Concern) Common Musk Turtle Blanding’s Turtle (˜reatened) Shell length: 3.5 - 5.5 inches Shell length: 3 - 5 inches Shell length: 6 - 11 inches One of New York’s Also known as a “stink- Recognized by its most attractive pot,” the common musk bright-yellow throat freshwater turtles, turtle has four musk-pro- and chin, the Blan- the spotted turtle ducing glands on the ding’s turtle has has yellow polka underside of the carapace a smooth, hel- dots sprinkled margins, allowing it to met-shaped carapace across its neck, emit a foul odor when decorated with streaks. Its plastron is hinged head and carapace. Spotted turtles frequent disturbed. It has a smooth, high-domed carapace, like a box turtle’s, allowing it to partially shallow wetlands with generally clear water and o˜en looks like an oval, algae-covered stone. ˝e close its shell as protection from predators. and so˜, muddy substrates, such as swamps, plastron is small, cross-like, and hinged in front. ˝ere ˝e Blanding’s turtle prefers areas of vernal marshes, bogs, fens, wet meadows, vernal pools, are barbels on the chin and throat. Males have a thick pools and shrub swamps with thick emergent tidal wetlands, slow-moving woodland streams, tail that ends in a blunt nail. Stinkpots are found in vegetation, but can also occur in shallow weedy °ooded ditches and adjacent ÿelds and forests. slow-moving, muddy-bottomed rivers and big streams, coves and backwaters of lakes and rivers. Adult ˝ey feed on spotted salamander and wood frog and the shallow, weedy coves of lakes and large ponds. turtles may travel a distance to nest in plowed egg masses, tadpoles, snails, slugs, worms, small ˝ey eat algae, snails, leeches, worms, aquatic insects, ÿelds, pastures, lawns and road berms. ˝ey crustaceans and aquatic insects. crayÿsh, small ÿsh and tadpoles, as well as carrion. eat crayÿsh, tadpoles, frogs, small ÿsh, leeches, aquatic insects, snails, slugs, worms, berries Common Map Turtle Spiny Softshell (Special Concern) and aquatic vegetation. Shell Length: male 4 - 6 inches; female 7 - 11 inches Shell length: male 5 - 9 inches; female 7 - 19 inches ˝e map turtle’s name As its name implies, the Bog Turtle (Endangered) comes from the “topo- spiny so˜shell turtle has a Shell length: 3 - 4 inches graphic map-like” pat- so˜, °attened, leathery shell. Our smallest turtle, the tern on its carapace. ˝e It has a very long neck, and bog turtle is a secretive smooth carapace has a a snorkel-like snout with species, inhabiting keel down its midline, large nostrils. ˝e carapace bogs, fens and wet with the rear edge °ared lacks scutes, and has short meadows with slow and serrated. Males are decidedly smaller than spiny projections along the moving rivulets and females and have a more distinct keel. ˝is spe- front edge. ˝e feet are fully webbed. Males are consid- so˜ muddy bottoms. It is an attractive turtle, cies is found primarily in bays of Lake Ontario erably smaller than females, and have a long, thick tail. with large yellow to orange-red “ear” marks and in large rivers (like the Hudson), preferring Females have very short tails which are o˜en tucked un- that contrast with its black neck and head, stretches that are slow-moving with so˜ bottoms der the carapace. Spiny so˜shells occur in rivers, lakes, and a mahogany starburst pattern o˜en seen and good basking sites. With its massive head protected bays and river mouths that have so˜ mud or on each scute of its carapace. ˝e bog turtle and powerful jaws, females are well designed to sand bottoms and sparse aquatic vegetation. ˝ey avoid primarily eats slugs, worms, insects, seeds crush large snails, freshwater clams and crayÿsh. areas with rocky bottoms. Spiny so˜shells eat crayÿsh, and berries. Due to habitat loss, this turtle has ˝e diminutive male eats aquatic insects, small aquatic insects, snails, tadpoles and small ÿsh. become extirpated from many sites. snails and crustaceans. Box Turtle (Special Concern) Diamondback Terrapin Eastern Mud Turtle (Endangered) Shell length: 4.5 - 6 inches Shell length: male 4 - 5.5 inches; female 6 - 9 inches Shell length: 3 - 5 inches New York’s most ter- Restricted to saltwater New York State’s rarest restrial turtle, the box and brackish habitats, turtle, the mud turtle turtle spends most of the diamondback has a smooth, oval, dark its time wandering terrapin can be seen carapace without a keel. open ÿelds and for- °oating in quiet bays ˝e plastron has two ests, only retreating with just its head well-developed hinges. to shallow pools or above the surface; its Both sexes have nail-tipped tails. Mud turtles are wetlands to soak during very hot and dry periods. white “lips” are a good ÿeld mark. ˝is turtle comes found in freshwater and brackish water marshes, It can completely close its shell, distinguishing it to shore to nest in the coastal dunes above high small ponds, water-ÿlled ditches, creeks and from other turtle species. ˝e box turtle’s high- tide levels. Prized by the gourmet, it is occasionally swamps. ˝ey prefer shallow, quiet waters with a domed carapace is brightly highlighted; the plas- harvested in New York. Terrapins eat clams, mussels so˜ bottom and emergent vegetation. tron is hinged. Males and females can be told apart and snails. by eye color—usually brown for females, red for Painted Turtle males. Box turtles eat a variety of °eshy fruits such Shell length: 5 - 7 inches as strawberries and raspberries, mushrooms and Our most common other so˜ vegetation, worms, slugs and snails. ˝ey species, the painted will also scavenge dead birds and mammals. turtle is o˜en seen basking in large num- Wood Turtle (Special Concern) bers on logs and stumps Shell length: 6 - 8 inches in marshes, ponds and ˝e wood turtle gets lakes, disappearing into its name from its the water quickly when preferred wooded Snapping Turtle disturbed. Bright stripes habitat, as well as Shell length: 10 - 16 inches on the neck and spots on the head can be seen from the color of Easily recognized by its large head, long saw-toothed when the turtle is basking. ˝e dark carapace is its carapace—the tail, stocky legs with large claws, and the jagged, bordered with red. ˝e plastron is plain yellow in prominent annuli saw-toothed rear edge on its dark shell, the snapping the Eastern painted turtle, and has a dark central give it the sculpted appearance of weathered tree turtle is our largest freshwater turtle. Known for its blotch in the Midland painted turtle. Males have rings. Wood turtles are usually found in or along defensive nature, this turtle will attack on land, but long claws on their front feet; females have longer clean, fast-°owing trout streams, foraging during prefers to °ee in water. Highly aquatic, this species shells. Painted turtles eat a variety of inverte- the summer in the woodlands bordering the is found in freshwater and brackish marshes, ponds, brates, tadpoles and vegetation, but will also streams. Like other turtles, females move into open lakes, rivers and streams. Snappers o˜en scavenge, scavenge carrion. areas for nesting. Wood turtles eat berries, mush- but they also take live food ranging in size from rooms, small ÿsh, slugs, worms and tadpoles.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • ABSTRACTS 44Th Annual Meeting and Symposium Tucson, Arizona February 21–23, 2019
    ABSTRACTS 44th Annual Meeting and Symposium Tucson, Arizona February 21–23, 2019 FORTY-FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING AND SYMPOSIUM THE DESERT TORTOISE COUNCIL TUCSON, AZ February 21–23, 2019 ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS AND POSTERS (Abstracts arranged alphabetically by last name of first author) *Speaker, if not the first author listed Long-term Data Collection and Trends of a 130-Acre High Desert Riparian and Upland Preserve in Northwestern Mohave County, Arizona Julie Alpert and Robert Faught Willow Creek Environmental Consulting, LLC, 15857 E. Silver Springs Road, Kingman, Arizona 86401, USA.Phone: 928-692-6501. Email: [email protected] The Willow Creek Riparian Preserve (Preserve) is a privately owned 130-acre site located 30 miles east of Kingman, Arizona. The Preserve was formally established in 2007 with the purchase of 10-acres and an agreement with the eastern adjoining private landowner to add an additional 120-acres. The Preserve location was unfenced and wholly accessible by livestock, off-road vehicle use, and hunting. In October of 2008 the Preserve was fenced with volunteer efforts from the local Rotary Club and Boy Scout Troop 66. Additional financial assistance came through a large discount in the cost of fencing materials from Kingman Ace Hardware. A total of 0.5-linear mile of new wildlife friendly fencing (barbless top wire and 18-inches above-ground bottom wire) was installed along the south and west sides and connected to existing Arizona State Lands cattle allotment fencing. Baseline and on-going studies and data collection have occurred since 2004. These have included small mammal live trapping; chiropteran surveys with the use of Anabat; migratory, breeding, and winter avian surveys; amphibian and reptile surveys; deployment of game cameras; animal track and sign identification and movement patterns; vegetation and plant surveys; and a wetland delineation.
    [Show full text]
  • Sea Turtle Activity Book
    Sea Turtle Adventures II The adventure continues... An Activity Book for All Ages Welcome to Sarasota County! The beautiful beaches and surrounding waters of Sarasota REMOVE OBSTACLES: Turtles can easily become trapped County provide critical habitat for important populations in beach furniture, recreational equipment, tents and of threatened and endangered sea turtles. We are honored toys, or fall into deep holes in the sand. You can provide that many sea turtles make Sarasota County their home a more natural and safe shoreline for the turtles to nest year-round, while other sea turtles migrate to our beaches by removing all items from the beach each night. Also, from hundreds of miles away to find mates and nest. remember to leave the beach as you found it by knocking down sandcastles, filling in holes, and picking up garbage, Each year between May 1 and Oct. 31, adult female sea especially plastics, which can be mistaken for food by turtles crawl out of the Gulf of Mexico to lay approximately sea turtles. 100 eggs in a sandy nest on our beaches. The clutch incubates for almost two months until the hatchlings We hope you enjoy learning more about sea turtles in this emerge one night and make their way to the Gulf. During activity book. Thank you for sharing the shore and helping this special time of year, there are many things you can do to make our beaches more turtle-friendly! to help and protect these magnificent animals. Sincerely, LIMIT LIGHTING: Lights on the beach confuse and disorient Your Friends at Sarasota County sea turtles.
    [Show full text]
  • Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys Picta)
    Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Family: Emydidae Characteristics: The most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to Louisiana and northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The adult painted turtle female is 10–25 cm (4–10 in) long; the male is smaller. The turtle's top shell is dark and smooth, without a ridge. Its skin is olive to black with red, orange, or yellow stripes on its extremities. The subspecies can be distinguished by their shells: the eastern has straight-aligned top shell segments; the midland has a large gray mark on the bottom shell; the southern has a red line on the top shell; the western has a red pattern on the bottom shell (Washington Nature Mapping Program). Behavior: Although they are frequently consumed as eggs or hatchlings by rodents, canines, and snakes, the adult turtles' hard shells protect them from most predators. Reliant on warmth from its surroundings, the painted turtle is active only during the day when it basks for hours on logs or rocks. During winter, the turtle hibernates, usually in the mud at the bottom of water bodies. Reproduction: The turtles mate in spring and autumn. Females dig nests on land and lay eggs between late spring and mid- summer. Hatched turtles grow until sexual maturity: 2–9 years for males, 6–16 for females. Diet: Wild: aquatic vegetation, algae, and small water creatures including insects, crustaceans, and fish Zoo: Algae, duck food Conservation: While habitat loss and road killings have reduced the turtle's population, its ability to live in human-disturbed settings has helped it remain the most abundant turtle in North America.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ecology and Evolutionary History of Two Musk Turtles in the Southeastern United States
    The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Dissertations Spring 2020 The Ecology and Evolutionary History of Two Musk Turtles in the Southeastern United States Grover Brown Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations Part of the Genetics Commons Recommended Citation Brown, Grover, "The Ecology and Evolutionary History of Two Musk Turtles in the Southeastern United States" (2020). Dissertations. 1762. https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/1762 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF TWO MUSK TURTLES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES by Grover James Brown III A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School, the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Approved by: Brian R. Kreiser, Committee Co-Chair Carl P. Qualls, Committee Co-Chair Jacob F. Schaefer Micheal A. Davis Willian W. Selman II ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Dr. Brian R. Kreiser Dr. Jacob Schaefer Dr. Karen S. Coats Committee Chair Director of School Dean of the Graduate School May 2020 COPYRIGHT BY Grover James Brown III 2020 Published by the Graduate School ABSTRACT Turtles are among one of the most imperiled vertebrate groups on the planet with more than half of all species worldwide listed as threatened, endangered or extinct by the International Union of the Conservation of Nature.
    [Show full text]
  • Texas Tortoise
    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE TEXAS TORTOISE, CONTACT: ∙ TPWD: 800-792-1112 OF THE FOUR SPECIES OF TORTOISES FOUND http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ IN NORTH AMERICA, THE TEXAS TORTOISE TEXAS ∙ Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society: IS THE ONLY ONE FOUND IN TEXAS. 866-994-2887 http://www.gctts.org/ THE TEXAS TORTOISE CAN BE FOUND IF YOU FIND A TEXAS TORTOISE THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN TEXAS AS WELL AS (OUT OF HABITAT), CONTACT: TORTOISE ∙ TPWD Law Enforcement TORTOISE NORTHEASTERN MEXICO. ∙ Permitted rehabbers in your area http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/rehab/ GOPHERUS BERLANDIERI UNFORTUNATELY EVERYTHING THERE ARE MANY THREATS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO THE SURVIVAL OF THE ABOUT THE STATE’S ONLY TEXAS TORTOISE: NATIVE TORTOISE HABITAT LOSS | ILLEGAL COLLECTION & THE THREATS IT FACES ROADSIDE MORTALITIES | PREDATION EXOTIC PATHOGENS TexasTortoise_brochure_V3.indd 1 3/28/12 12:12 PM COUNTIES WHERE THE TEXAS TORTOISE IS LISTED THE TEXAS TORTOISE (Gopherus berlandieri) is the smallest of the North American tortoises, reaching a shell length of about TEXAS TORTOISE AS A THREATENED SPECIES 8½ inches (22cm). The Texas tortoise can be distinguished CAN BE FOUND IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THEREFORE from other turtles found in Texas by its cylindrical and IS PROTECTED BY STATE LAW. columnar hind legs and by the yellow-orange scutes (plates) on its carapace (upper shell). IT IS ILLEGAL TO COLLECT, POSSESS, OR HARM A TEXAS TORTOISE. PENALTIES CAN INCLUDE PAYING A FINE OF Aransas, Atascosa, Bee, Bexar, Brewster, $273.50 PER TORTOISE. Brooks, Calhoun, Cameron, De Witt, Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, Frio, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hidalgo, Jackson, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kenedy, Kinney, Kleberg, La Salle, Lavaca, Live Oak, Matagorda, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Nueces, WHAT SHOULD YOU Refugio, San Patricio, Starr, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Victoria, Webb, Willacy, DO IF YOU FIND A Wilson, Zapata, Zavala TEXAS TORTOISE? THE TEXAS TORTOISE IS THE SMALLEST IN THE WILD AN INDIVIDUAL TEXAS TORTOISE LEAVE IT ALONE.
    [Show full text]
  • Spotted Turtle,Clemmys Guttata
    COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata in Canada ENDANGERED 2014 COSEWIC status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of wildlife species suspected of being at risk. This report may be cited as follows: COSEWIC. 2014. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xiv + 74 pp. (www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm). Previous report(s): COSEWIC. 2004. COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the spotted turtle Clemmys guttata in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vi + 27 pp. (www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm). Oldham, M.J. 1991. COSEWIC status report on the spotted turtle Clemmys guttata in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. 93 pp. Production note: COSEWIC would like to acknowledge Teresa Piraino for writing the status report on the Spotted Turtle, Clemmys guttata, in Canada, prepared under contract with Environment Canada. This report was overseen by Jim Bogart, Co-chair of the COSEWIC Amphibians and Reptiles Specialist Subcommittee. For additional copies contact: COSEWIC Secretariat c/o Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 Tel.: 819-938-4125 Fax: 819-938-3984 E-mail: COSEWIC/[email protected] http://www.cosewic.gc.ca Également disponible en français sous le titre Ếvaluation et Rapport de situation du COSEPAC sur la Tortue ponctuée (Clemmys guttata) au Canada. Cover illustration/photo: Spotted Turtle — Photo provided by author. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2014.
    [Show full text]
  • RCN NE Terrapin Conservation Strategy
    The Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin) in the Northeast United States: A Regional Conservation Strategy Prepared by: Stephanie Egger, Wildlife Biologist Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, Inc. with Contributions from the Diamondback Terrapin Working Group Prepared for: Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Northeast Regional Conservation Needs Grant Program 2016 Made possible by State Wildlife Grants and funded by the Northeast Regional Conservation Needs Grant Program. REGIONAL CONSERVATION NEEDS GRANT PROGRAM The Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin) in the Northeastern United States: A Regional Conservation Strategy was supported by State Wildlife Grant funding awarded through the Northeast Regional Conservation Needs (RCN) Grant Program (RCN Grant 2013-02). The RCN Grant Program joins thirteen northeast States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a partnership to address landscape-scale, regional wildlife conservation issues. Progress on these regional issues is achieved through combining resources, leveraging funds, and prioritizing conservation actions identified in the State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs). See http://RCNGrants.org. COVER IMAGE: Female Northern diamondback terrapin © Brian Tang i STATE AGENCY PROJECT LEADS AND/OR CONTRIBUTORS New Hampshire (for technical support) Michael Marchand, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Concord, New Hampshire Massachusetts Dr. Jonathan Regosin, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Aquatic Turtle Care
    Mississippi Map Turtle Introduction to Aquatic Turtle Care There are over 300 turtle species worldwide, including roughly 60 types of tortoise and 7 sea turtle species. Turtles are found on every Basking area: aquatic turtles need sufficient continent except Antarctica, living in a variety room to leave the water, dry their shells, of climates from the tropical regions of Cen- and regulate their temperature. tral and South America through the temper- Incandescent light fixture heats the ate parts of the U.S., with a few species in o- o) basking area (typically 85 95 to UVB light fixture for illumination; essential southern Canada. provide temperature gradient for vitamin synthesis in turtles held indoors The vast majority of turtles spend much of their lives in freshwater ponds, lakes and riv- ers. Although they are in the same family with North American pond and river turtles, box turtles of the U.S. and Mexico are primarily A filtration system terrestrial. to remove waste Tortoises are primarily terrestrial with differ- and prevent ill- ent habitat and diet requirements and are ness in your pet covered in a separate care sheet. turtle Underwater decorations: logs, driftwood, live or artificial plants, rock piles or other hiding places. Submersible thermometer to ensure water temperature is in the correct range, generally mid 70osF; varies with species, age and time of year A small to medium-sized aquarium (20-29 gallons) is ample for one adult of a smaller species Western painted turtle. Painted turtles (e.g., mud, musk). Larger species (sliders, cooters) may need tanks 100 gallons and larger.
    [Show full text]
  • Spotted Turtle (Clemmys Guttata) in Canada
    PROPOSED Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series Recovery Strategy for the Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) in Canada Spotted Turtle 2016 Recommended citation: Environment Canada. 2016. Recovery Strategy for the Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) in Canada [Proposed]. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. viii + 54 pp. For copies of the recovery strategy, or for additional information on species at risk, including the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) Status Reports, residence descriptions, action plans, and other related recovery documents, please visit the Species at Risk (SAR) Public Registry1. Cover illustration: © Joe Crowley Également disponible en français sous le titre « Programme de rétablissement de la tortue ponctuée (Clemmys guttata) au Canada [Proposition] » © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of the Environment, 2016. All rights reserved. ISBN Catalogue no. Content (excluding the illustrations) may be used without permission, with appropriate credit to the source. 1 www.registrelep.gc.ca/default_e.cfm Recovery Strategy for the Spotted Turtle 2016 Preface The federal, provincial, and territorial government signatories under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk (1996)2 agreed to establish complementary legislation and programs that provide for effective protection of species at risk throughout Canada. Under the Species at Risk Act (S.C. 2002, c.29) (SARA), the federal competent ministers are responsible for the preparation of recovery strategies for listed Extirpated, Endangered, and Threatened species and are required to report on progress within five years after the publication of the final document on the SAR Public Registry.
    [Show full text]
  • Saving the Diamondback Terrapin
    Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Allows Teachers to Broaden Awareness of the Plight of the Diamondback Terrapin Maggie Dugan: Upper Township Elementary School Jane Krajewski: Quinton Township School Mary Lyons and Lynn Tyskas: Millville Public Schools Our Mission • Gain greater insight into the Terrapin Conservation Project through direct participation with scientists/interns at the Wetlands Institute • Create lessons and activities that can be used throughout the state (and beyond ) to help enlighten others about the terrapin crisis • Provide instruction about the diamondback terrapin at upcoming conferences and disseminate our units to help enhance core standard teaching by incorporating terrapin education within objectives that are already in place in the classroom SAVING THE DIAMONDBACK TERRAPIN Jane Krajewski Quinton Township Elementary School ISN’T SHE CUTE? Diamondback terrapins are the only turtles that live in brackish (a mix of salt and fresh) water. Terrapin Fast Facts! • Females are usually bigger than males. Do you know why? •Females are larger because they are responsible for carrying the eggs. •They also have smaller tails that don’t get in the way when laying the eggs. • Females leave the water to nest above the high tide line. • They lay about 8-12 eggs. • Females will dig a nest with their back leg. • This plaster mold shows the size and shape of a nest. Egg chamber WHY IS THE FEMALE TERRAPIN MORE ENDANGERED? • Most turtles that cross the road are females. • Females enter the roadway because they are looking for suitable nesting sites. Because males do not have to do this, they are usually not the ones to get hit by cars.
    [Show full text]
  • AN INTRODUCTION to Texas Turtles
    TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE AN INTRODUCTION TO Texas Turtles Mark Klym An Introduction to Texas Turtles Turtle, tortoise or terrapin? Many people get confused by these terms, often using them interchangeably. Texas has a single species of tortoise, the Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlanderi) and a single species of terrapin, the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin). All of the remaining 28 species of the order Testudines found in Texas are called “turtles,” although some like the box turtles (Terrapene spp.) are highly terrestrial others are found only in marine (saltwater) settings. In some countries such as Great Britain or Australia, these terms are very specific and relate to the habit or habitat of the animal; in North America they are denoted using these definitions. Turtle: an aquatic or semi-aquatic animal with webbed feet. Tortoise: a terrestrial animal with clubbed feet, domed shell and generally inhabiting warmer regions. Whatever we call them, these animals are a unique tie to a period of earth’s history all but lost in the living world. Turtles are some of the oldest reptilian species on the earth, virtually unchanged in 200 million years or more! These slow-moving, tooth­ less, egg-laying creatures date back to the dinosaurs and still retain traits they used An Introduction to Texas Turtles | 1 to survive then. Although many turtles spend most of their lives in water, they are air-breathing animals and must come to the surface to breathe. If they spend all this time in water, why do we see them on logs, rocks and the shoreline so often? Unlike birds and mammals, turtles are ectothermic, or cold- blooded, meaning they rely on the temperature around them to regulate their body temperature.
    [Show full text]
  • N.C. Turtles Checklist
    Checklist of Turtles Historically Encountered In Coastal North Carolina by John Hairr, Keith Rittmaster and Ben Wunderly North Carolina Maritime Museums Compiled June 1, 2016 Suborder Family Common Name Scientific Name Conservation Status Testudines Cheloniidae loggerhead Caretta caretta Threatened green turtle Chelonia mydas Threatened hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata Endangered Kemp’s ridley Lepidochelys kempii Endangered Dermochelyidae leatherback Dermochelys coriacea Endangered Chelydridae common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina Emydidae eastern painted turtle Chrysemys picta spotted turtle Clemmys guttata eastern chicken turtle Deirochelys reticularia diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin Special concern river cooter Pseudemys concinna redbelly turtle Pseudemys rubriventris eastern box turtle Terrapene carolina yellowbelly slider Trachemys scripta Kinosternidae striped mud turtle Kinosternon baurii eastern mud turtle Kinosternon subrubrum common musk turtle Sternotherus odoratus Trionychidae spiny softshell Apalone spinifera Special concern NOTE: This checklist was compiled and updated from several sources, both in the scientific and popular literature. For scientific names, we have relied on: Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [van Dijk, P.P., Iverson, J.B., Rhodin, A.G.J., Shaffer, H.B., and Bour, R.]. 2014. Turtles of the world, 7th edition: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution with maps, and conservation status. In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Pritchard, P.C.H., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., Iverson, J.B., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs 5(7):000.329–479, doi:10.3854/crm.5.000.checklist.v7.2014; The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
    [Show full text]