Introducing Turtles Turtles are reptiles belonging to the

Introducing Turtles

• Turtles are reptiles, belonging to the order Testudines • Unlike other vertebrates, their shoulders are located inside the ribcage • They are ectothermic or “cold-blooded, ” with dry, scaly skin, and breathe with lungs • They must hibernate to survive our winters, but painted turtles can sometimes be seen swimming below the ice in winter • Some species are often seen basking in the sun • Turtles lay eggs in sand or soil, and leave them to hatch months later. They do not care for their young

Turtle Anatomy: The shell is the turtles most distinctive feature. It consists of an upper part, the carapace, and a lower part, the plastron, connected by the bridge.

Can a turtle crawl out of its shell? No – the shell is fused to the spine, and is mainly made up of the flattened ribs covered with plates of a fingernail-like material

Our local turtle species include… • Eastern painted turtle • Common snapping turtle • Stinkpot musk turtle • Spotted turtle • Wood turtle • Eastern box turtle • Red-eared slider (introduced from the south)

The Common Snapping Turtle: • Chelydra serpentina • Family: Chelidridae

Appearance: The average adult weight is 30 lbs, but 40 -60 pounders are not uncommon. They are generally dark brown above, creamy white below, and the carapace is often covered with algae The plastron is very small for the turtle’s size They have very long tails covered with plate like tubercles. The rear of the carapace is strongly serrated. Their heads are large with two barbels on the chin.

Habitat and Range Snappers prefer ponds and lakes, or slow moving rivers, with muddy bottoms and aquatic vegetation They range from the Rockies to Southern Canada, all through the U. S. and Mexico, through Central and South America as far south as Ecuador. They have the largest distribution of any turtle in North America

Reproduction/life cycle • Snappers reach sexual maturity at about 8 inches in carapace length, usually between five and six years old. • They generally mate in May, and lay eggs in June. • Females dig a cavity with their back legs and lay between 17 and 55 eggs. • Nests are usually within two feet of water, but may be as far away as a mile. • After two to three months 1 inch long hatchlings emerge, around September. • Young snappers must migrate to water, but will stay in shallow water because they are very poor swimmers. • Life span is 50 years or more

Behavior of Snapping Turtles are inoffensive when they are in water but can be dangerous when on dry land. When threatened on land they will hiss and snap while standing on all fours and rocking back and forth. Snapping turtles often bask at the surface of the water to increase their body temperature. In northern areas, snapping turtles survive the winter by burrowing in the mud on the bottom of lakes and ponds.

Diet Snapping turtles are omnivores. They will eat almost anything they can swallow. They have been known to eat insects, crayfish, carrion, snakes, lizards, and other turtles. Algae and plants are also eaten. As young turtles they get most of their by foraging, but as they age they will wait for the food to come to them.

In some parts of the country snappers are hunted for food in the restaurant trade. This is only regulated in a few states. There haven’t been any sufficient long term studies showing the effect of hunting on snapping turtles to date. A New York state study discovered that Snapping turtles were able to survive with incredibly high doses of toxins in their body fat. This may influence future plans for managing snapping turtle populations.

Snappers emit secretions that generate a strong musk turtle like odor when threatened or aroused. In Snapping turtles the males are generally larger than the females. Males also have longer tails. Snapping turtles can not bring their head and legs into their shell. Snapping turtles are usually more active at night.

Family: Emydidae

Color: Carapace is olive-brown. The edge is marked with red, Color the plastron is yellow, and the head is streaked with yellow. The neck, legs, and tail are streaked with red and yellow. Pattern: The pattern is unique in that the vertebral and costal Pattern scutes run virtually parallel, so the light bordered seams are aligned across the carapace. Size: The size of this turtle varies from 4 1/2 to about 7 in. Size

Southeast Canada through New England down to Georgia and Eastern Alabama. : Plant-filled ponds, lakes and streams, and are often seen in groups or basking on logs and rocks. Most common where lily pads and pickerel weed grow Insects, snails, vegetation

• Painted turtles usually mate in April or May • Egg laying occurs in May and June • About 5 -10 eggs are buried, usually close to water • Eggs usually hatch by September (3 months), but hatchlings may not leave the nest until the following spring • Many, if not most, nests, are quickly discovered and dug up by raccoons, coyotes, or other predators

Painted turtles are the most abundant turtles in this area. Although cars/roads do kill many turtles, the overall population is not highly impacted. As with any species, if their habitats are destroyed, turtle populations will be greatly impacted.

Sternotherus odoratus • Family: Kinosternidae

Identification The skin is a dark-olive to black color, and there are two prominent yellow lines that run from the snout to the neck, one on either side of the eye. average length: about 3 to 5 inches The carapace is brown or black, and has a smooth, oval shape with a high dome. Musk turtles are poor swimmers and usually walk along the bottom

• The stinkpot is an abundant species with a large range • They prefer Ponds and lakes with rocky bottoms, and slow-moving streams

-Carnivorous/omivorous -Feed on small aquatic insects -Algae -Carrion - Mollusks -Omnivorous -worms -Leeches -Snails -Fish Eggs -Algae and larger plants