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Wood Turtle Brochure

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Wood Turtle Brochure IDENTIFICATION CONFUSING SPECIES HOW CAN YOU HELP HELP US MONITOR WOOD TURTLES If you encounter a wood turtle, send your The wood turtle has a slightly domed carapace The EASTERN BOX TURTLE (Terrapene Ultimately, the conservation of wood turtles name, address, phone number (optional), (top shell) that can reach a length of 9 inches. carolina carolina) is commonly mistaken for the will require protection of wetland and upland location of sighting (GPS coordinates if The scutes (scales) of the carapace are sculpted wood turtle. Box turtles have a high-domed habitats. This cannot be accomplished without possible), name of nearest stream and and knobby. The hingeless plastron (bottom shell and lack the sculptured scales. Their help of both private and public landowners. comments to: shell) has a light color pattern with dark plastron is hinged with no markings and will marginal blotches. The front legs and neck are often turn black. Unlike wood turtles, box Below are some steps that you can take to assist Address line 1 this section is to be often bright red or orange red. turtles can completely enclose themselves for in wood turtle conservation: customized by each state to provide an protection. Photos: John White appropriate mailing address Photo: Steve Kirchbaum Steve Photo: . Raise the awareness on this species by encouraging your local and state governments to increase protection of riparian (wetland) Your name habitats. ___________________________________ •Do not take turtles home. In many states wood Address turtles are a protected species. ___________________________________ •If you live next to a stream, provide as much forested buffer as possible. ___________________________________ Carapace patterns of box turtles Note the hinged Note the sculpted scutes and Phone number (optional) more streamlined carapace can be highly variable plastron • If you see a turtle in the road and can safely pull over, help the turtle across in the direction THREATS that it was going. ___________________________________ Location of sighting (GPS Turtles are unusual among vertebrates in that . coordinates, if possible), include county even extremely modest mortality from Be careful when mowing tall grass, especially Photo: Photo: John White unnatural causes can lead to population decline. in June during the nesting season. Habitat loss and degradation, fragmentation by ___________________________________ highways, water pollution, and collection as • Report suspected poaching to your local pets are the primary threats to wood turtles. wildlife law enforcement agency as the wood ___________________________________ Highway mortality is one of the more horrid turtle is protected in many states. Name of nearest stream and immediate threats to wood turtles. Every year thousands of turtles are killed on highways ___________________________________ Wood Turtles are considered imperiled, as they try to find nest sites or look for mates. Comments Other threats include an overabundance certain rare, declining, and/or vulnerable in almost every State and Canadian predators like raccoons, opossums, and skunks ___________________________________ that prey of eggs, hatchlings and adult turtles. province throughout their range. Male plastron is concave in both ___________________________________ wood turtles and box turtles WOOD TURTLE RANGE WOOD TURTLE DIET WOOD TURTLE FACTS The WOOD TURTLE (Glyptemys insculpta) Wood turtles are omnivorous, meaning they • Wood turtles are cold-adapted. They have ranges from southeastern Canada south to will eat just about anything. Slugs, worms, been observed moving beneath ice-covered northern Virginia. It also occurs in the upper mushrooms, and berries are just a few of the streams and are active on land when air midwestern States. items that make up their diet. temperatures are only in the low 40s(F). Photo: Mike Jones •Wood turtles have been known to “worm- stomp”. Thumping their chest against the ground, the sound draws worms to the surface for an easy meal. • With their large strong legs, wood turtles are well-adapted for climbing over rocks and logs. WOOD TURTLE HABITAT •Home ranges of wood turtles can be Photo: J.D. Kleopfer It is important to recognize that essential wood hundreds of acres. © WoodTurtle.com turtle habitat exists far outside of narrowly The WOOD TURTLE is in decline defined or protected riparian areas (wetlands). •Wood turtle are considered the smartest of all The adjacent upland habitat is as critical as the throughout most of its range and needs WOOD TURTLE ECOLOGY the turtles species. your help. This brochure is intended to Wood turtle life history is characterized by stream itself. Forests, fields, and wet meadows provide facts and general information on slow growth, late sexual maturity (10-15 years) adjacent to highly oxygenated streams are For additional information on the and high natural mortality of eggs and excellent wood turtle habitat. In winter, they conservation of wood turtles and the life history and ecology of this hibernate in pools deep enough not to freeze, amazing animal, and how YOU can help juveniles. However, wood turtles are known other reptiles and amphibians: for their longevity. In the wild, wood turtles under the mud or leaves on the bottom, or with its conservation. are known to live 50 years and up to 100 years under submerged logs or tree roots. They do • Habitat Management Guidelines in captivity! not occupy impounded waters, such as for Amphibians and Reptiles of the reservoirs and ponds. Northeastern United States Wood turtles begin to emerge from their aquatic hibernation sites in March. In May and • Habitat Management Guidelines June, gravid females (females with eggs) can be for Amphibians and Reptiles of the found in upland habitat looking for nest sites. Midwestern United States Although the number of eggs deposited is •Turtles of the United States and variable, most clutches average around 9 eggs. Canada – Ernst and Lovich Hatchlings emerge in August or early September. Mating can occur anytime of the Brochure designed by: •www.parcplace.org year when turtles are active, but typically Christina Domser & J.D. Kleopfer peaks in late fall as turtles begin to return to Photo: Alan Savitzky •www.woodturtle.com Northeast PARC - Wood Turtle Working Group their hibernation sites. www.pwrc.usgs.gov/neparc Wood turtle hibernation site.
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