What Can You Do? Population & Range

 Report Suspicious Activities Study Florida Peninsula Cooter Taking turtles from the Parks is illegal, and can (Pseudemys peninsularis) threaten population health. Report any suspected activity to Park officials.

 Conserve Natural Resources Central Florida Water is a precious resource, and is not unlimited. Freshwater Turtle Suwannee Cooter We must all do our part to conserve and preserve (Pseudemys concinna such resources so that they are available in the fu- Research Group suwanniensis) ture.

 Donate Time or Money Parks rely on external funding not only to expand their programs, but to continue those already in Florida Redbelly Cooter place. Research done by many groups is often paid (Pseudemys nelsoni) for by the researchers involved. Even small dona- tions of time or money add up!  Educate Yourself, Speak Out, & Get Creative!

Common Musk Turtle Understanding the basics of good science can help or Stinkpot (Sternotherus you become a better informed citizen. Share what odoratus) you know with others, and get together with friends and neighbors to find new ways to pitch in!

Loggerhead Musk Turtle (Sternotherus minor minor)

Wekiwa Springs State Park Florida Softshell Turtle (Apalone ferox) Rock Springs Run State Preserve

Blue Springs State Park De Leon Springs State Park Eric Munscher Florida Snapping Turtle Principle Investigator & Herpetologist Manatee Springs State Park (Chelydra serpentina osceola) Email: [email protected]

Organization Email: Fanning Springs State Park

[email protected] Peacock Springs State Park

Florida Chicken Turtle Website: (Deirochelys reticularia www.tg-fx.com/munscher_html/index.html chrysea) Facebook Group: Central Florida Freshwater Turtle Study Who we are In 2010, an additional study began in Wekiwa Springs to determine the natural range of Logger- The Central Florida Freshwater Turtle Study was be- head Musk Turtles and Stinkpots along the run of gun in 1999 by Dr. Brian Butterfield (Freed-Hardeman the spring. For this study, the run is divided into University) and Dr. Brian Hauge (Peninsula College) 100 meter sections and the area of capture re- as a field research experience for their students. The corded, so that the movements of the turtles from original study was designed to monitor the populations season to season and year to year can be analyzed. of species of aquatic turtles living in Wekiwa Springs and Rock Springs Run. Invasive Species An invasive species is a species that is not native to the area. These spe- cies can pose a serious Turtles are long-lived, and because of this it is difficult threat to native animals, to judge the health of a population by the presence of plants, or habitats. They turtles alone. It is important to know both the number of can compete with native individuals as well as the age composition of the popu- species for food or shelter, spread parasites or dis- lation to determine whether the population is declining, ease, or prey on native species. They can also make increasing, or holding steady. changes to the habitat in ways that are destructive. What we do Sometimes when pet owners become either unable or unwilling to care for their pets, they release them The aim of these studies is to determine baselines for outdoors, which is illegal. Many invasive species population health and range of freshwater turtles in the are introduced in this way. If you are unable to care Currently headed by Eric Munscher, MS (a former areas of study, as well as to monitor the presence and for a pet, it is better to find it a new home or bring student of Dr. Hauge now employed by SWCA Envi- status of invasive species. it to a shelter than it is to release it into the wild. ronmental Consultants), the research now includes Researchers collect turtles by hand while snorkeling turtle populations in Wekiwa Springs, Rock Springs Our research group has within the study area, while another researcher follows Run, Blue Springs, and De Leon Springs in the St. agreed to remove invasive with a canoe to collect the turtles. At times, the canoe John’s River basin and Manatee Springs, Fanning species that are caught in has been nearly overflowing with turtles! Springs, and Peacock Springs in the Suwannee River the course of our research. basin. A diverse group of professional scientists, edu- In this way, we hope to help cators, college students, and volunteers come from all slow the spread of these over the country to conduct these studies under the destructive, pushy species. authority of state park employees. Springs in Central Florida have specific problem Why we care species, just a few of which include: Turtles are an integral part of the spring ecosystem, Red Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) eating plants, insects, snails, and fish, as well as scav- Armored Sailfin Catfish (Pterygoplichtys enging. Turtles are also food for other animals in the disjunctivus) food web; raccoons eat turtle eggs, birds and fish eat Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis aurea) juvenile turtles, and alligators eat larger turtles. Be- Cuban Tree Frog (Osteopilus septentrionolis) cause of their many roles, the presence of a healthy turtle population is critical to maintaining a healthy Brown Anole After they are collected, measurements are taken of each (Anolis sagrei) spring ecosystem. Turtles are what scientists refer to as turtle. Turtles are marked so that they can be individu- indicator species. We hope to be able to assess the long Hydrilla (Hydrilla ally identified. After the data has been collected, the verticillata) term health of the springs we study by watching the turtles are released back into the spring. The data helps turtle populations for unusual changes. determine the size, health, and age of a population.