Wood Turtles

[Bucksnbows]

Inspired by some of LittleM's posts, I was thinking about some of my own experiences of late with the Division's threatened and non-game biologists.  Because my river and riparian area restoration work sometimes involves state and federal threatened and endangered species, I need to work closely with these biologists.  We always strive to avoid any habitat destruction but rather look to learn about and to ultimately improve on T&E species' habitat.  That brings in additional conservation partners quite often who have additional experience with some of these species.  Some of them have included endangered dragonfly larva, federal and state endangered and threatened (both) freshwater mussels, and wood turtles to name a few.  While my knowledge of dragonflies and mussels couldn't fill a thimble, I do know a bit about wood turtles and their habitat requirements.  There was some initial concern over this species when we first began our river restoration projects on a large scale for the first time in NJ.  But after several site visits and meetings along past and (at the time) future restoration projects, we were able to convince the staff biologists that our work would improve wood turtle habitat and not harm it in any way.

 

Last summer, we found two state-threatened wood turtles taking up residence in two previously restored sites.  One was on the Pequest and the second on the Musconetcong.  I also found quite a few more in the Flat Brook watershed and/or crossing roads throughout our general northwest NJ area.  Here are some pictures.  The Division wants individuals to report sightings, both live and dead.  It helps to better protect these increasingly rare species.

 

   

They are often fairly shy and won't come out of their shells while being handled...

 

The bottom carapace on a female will be relatively flat while on males it will be fairly indented to accommodate mating.  

 

 

Close up of the shell top.

 

Here I am holding one we electro fished in the Flat Brook during a demonstration for our 11-14 year old Coldwater Conservation School kids late last June at the NJ School for Conservation in Stokes SF.  I love teachable moments like this as we were trying to electro fish brook and brown trout, American eels, and all of the other fish species in that stream (and we got a lot of each of those including many 3'+ eels).  The kids got a kick out of this turtle.

 

Our electrofishing crew.  We keep the kids on the bank for safety reasons.

 

This was a feisty female!  

[Bucksnbows]

Here are some links in case you have more interest in NJ's T&E species while out hunting or fishing or trapping:

 

http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/species/fieldguide/

 

And here is how you can report any T&E species:

 

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/rprtform.htm

[BowhunterNJ]

Awesome pics and write up! Really enjoyed that!

I didn't realize wood turtles were state threatened, nor that they wanted you to report them. Good info!

[Bucksnbows]

Like most T&E species, it's a steady loss of habitat.  With turtles, it's also about too many roads and cars that run them over instead of stopping and helping them across that road.  When you do take your life into your hands and stop to help one, always place it across the road in the same direction it was travelling so it doesn't decide to cross the same section twice.  I know the Division is studying crossing sites all over the state for turtles and other reptiles and amphibians to retain or grow their rapidly decreasing numbers by installing under the road culverts.    

[Hatchet]

pretty cool thanks ! I always stop n move'm cross the street even snappers. I seen a big snapper run over by where my shop is n I think to my self how in the hell didn't you see him crossing

[Axiom]

cool.. nice pics

[LittleM]

 

Here's one I moved off a road in Warren County.  Missing it's front leg, as you can see - fairly common due to raccoon predation, so I am told.

[Bucksnbows]

Here are some more pix I dug up while looking for something else....

 

This is a younger wood turtle that likely hasn't reached sexual maturity yet.

 

 

And a painted turtle laying her eggs this past late June....

As painted turtles go, this is a very old gal.  I watched her dig her nest, lay her eggs and cover them up in about a half hour's time.

[Rusty]

Great stuff Brian!  

[_X7]

Interesting thread. I stopped along the roads numerous times to help turtles out of harm's way. I never paid much attention to species and such, but i'm going to start after this thread.

[Bucksnbows]

Painted turtle, NJ's most common and found in lakes, ponds and streams throughout the state.  

[Bucksnbows]

One more, another wood turtle.  This one sunning itself while I was fly fishing.  Not sure when we noticed each other, but he didn't stick around long after I took this quickie photo before he jumped in and swam off.  Musconetcong River in Warren County/Morris border.