Help Save the Box Turtles!

We have received our first turtle to enter our translocation study!  He has been dubbed “Crush”, by one of our conservation interns.  Crush was picked up off the side of the road, by someone who thought they were doing a good deed.  They drove Crush far away from his home.  Unfortunately, turtles are often relocated to a “safer” place, instead of placed on the side of the road they are heading.  Most people don’t know that box turtles have a very high death rate when relocated.  Relocation can also impact native populations of turtles by introducing new diseases and disrupting the gene pool. 

After returning home, Crush’s finders researched box turtles online and decided not to release him in their yard.  They found Piedmont Wildlife Center through the internet, and we gladly accepted Crush!  He has been in isolation since we received him, and will be the first turtle in our study! We plan on building an outdoor pen for Crush to live in for 1 year.  The outdoor enclosure will allow Crush time to adjust to his new surroundings, and some research has shown this might help establish a new home range.  After that time, he will wear a transmitter and will be released outside of the pen. 

To help Crush get back to the wild, please continue to donate!  Conservation Coordinator, Sara, said “We need to find a solution to this kidnapping problem.  We can’t educate everyone quickly enough, and if we can’t figure out what to do with these turtles, populations will continue to decline.”  We want these turtles around for generations to come! 

If you live in or around the Triangle area of North Carolina, you can get involved in our citizen science program.  Encourage your kids to make observations and take pictures, instead of keeping the cute turtle as a pet!  Find out more information on our website here: http://www.piedmontwildlifecenter.org/citizen-scientists/

Links:

• Citizen Scientists
• Piedmont Wildlife Center Box Turtle Project