The Swamp Stomp
Volume 15, Issue 49
The spotted turtle was listed in the Endangered Species Coalition’s “No Room to Roam” report, released on November 18. The annual report lists 10 species in the United States that are the most threatened by habitat fragmentation.
The report, titled “No Room to Roam: 10 American Species in Need of Connectivity and Corridors”, highlighted 10 species whose habitats have broken up to the point where there are very few safe, navigable corridors for the species to move between habitats or connect with other populations. Other species in the report included the pallid sturgeon and the smiling California tiger salamander.
The report said spotted turtles needs to visit several types of habitats to mate, nest, forage and carry out other survival activities throughout the year. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, spotted turtles need clear, clean water, a soft substrate and aquatic or emergent vegetation to live. The destruction of habitats and the breakup of those habitats that still exist has made the wandering nature of the species a hazard to its own survival.
According to the report, the once large population of spotted turtles has declined by 50 percent. It pointed out cars as a major force in this reduction. Female spotted turtles on their way to nesting sites are often hit by cars, killing both the turtle and the potential for more.
“We must stop the destruction and isolation of their habitats now before we lose this beautiful little turtle to extinction,” Collette Adkins, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said.
The center petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife in 2012 to add the spotted turtle to the list of endangered species and protect it under the Endangered Species Act. Although a final decision has not been made, the petition received an initial “positive finding” in June of this year.
According to the report, the species is protected in Canada under their Species at Risk Act. Several U.S. states also protect the spotted turtle under their own laws.
One way the report suggested helping the spotted turtle out is by building special underpasses underneath highways and railroads. These would give the turtles a safe passageway through which to travel between habitats. Another way would be to simply be on the lookout for turtles crossing the road in May and June, when female turtles go looking for nesting sites.
According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, spotted turtles reside mainly in the eastern United States and around the Great Lakes area. They measure from 3.5 to 5 inches in length and eat snails, slugs, worms and spiders. They are most easily distinguished by their yellow spots on their heads, necks and legs.
Sources:
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2015/spotted-turtle-11-18-2015.html
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7150.html