Hardshells rejoice: May 23 is World Turtle Day

Hardshells rejoice:

May 23 is World Turtle Day

By Tom Emery

Every terrapin, snapper, and slider can pop his head out of his shell and smile.

Thursday, May 23 is World Turtle Day, and there are plenty of reasons to celebrate in Minnesota, which is home to nine turtle species. Biologists and herpetologists are working to ensure the long-range future of the state’s turtles, and note that the general public can do much to help.

“Turtles in Minnesota face many threats,” said Christopher Smith, the Conservation Committee chair for the Minnesota Herpetological Society. “That includes habitat loss, pollution, water quality, and road mortality, when turtles are hit on roads and highways. There’s also the commercial turtle harvest, which is a big issue that we’re trying to work with the legislature on.”

Species of turtles are found statewide in Minnesota, though the southeast region has the largest concentrations of turtles. “To most folks, the most common turtle in the state is the painted turtle,” remarked Smith. “They’re found in both urban and more natural environments. But the snapping turtle is also fairly abundant.”

Two of Minnesota’s turtle species – Blanding’s turtle and the wood turtle – are state-threatened. “Both of those species have been petitioned for federal listing to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” said Smith. “They’ve both suffered a severe habitat loss, or habitat degradation.”

Turtles play valuable roles in Minnesota ecosystems. “They are very important,” commented Smith. “Given that most turtles are semi-aquatic, they move energy and nutrients from aquatic to terrestrial environments, and vice versa. They’re like nature’s janitors for wetlands, because they consume aquatic vegetation and dead or dying fish.

“Water is very important to the people of Minnesota. After all, we call ourselves the Land of 10,000 Lakes,” laughed Smith. “And turtles help keep those water environments clean and functioning, while creating healthy environments for fish.”

As elsewhere, Minnesota turtles face a number of challenges, including on roadways, where turtles are commonly found in warmer weather.

“There are several reasons why turtles are on the roads,” said Smith. “One is their movement between their winter and summer habitats. Another is the nesting season, when female turtles start moving across upland habitats, to look for areas to nest. Since many roads are often elevated from the surrounding landscape, the shoulders of the roads create a gravelly surface, which is actually good nesting habitat for a lot of turtles.

“Also, hatchling turtles that hatch near a road is another issue,” continued Smith. “The little turtles try to move to some wetland environment, and they end up on the road while they’re doing it.”

Smith stresses that the biology of a turtle is different than other fish and game species. “They live for so long, much longer than many other animals,” said Smith. “A lot of turtles can live for fifty or more years, unlike other animals, whose lifespans are much less. Turtles are pretty slow to mature, and they may not lay their first bunch of eggs from eight to ten, or even twenty years.

“So if they crawl out of their wetlands and get hit by cars, that’s decades of reproductive potential that is lost,” remarked Smith. “The same is true when they’re commercially harvested. Other fish and game species have higher reproductive potential, because they are shorter-lived, and mature faster.”

Smith adds that turtles have few natural predators, or natural risks. “But when humans began changing the landscape, that was bad for turtles,” he said, “because it creates higher levels of mortality.

“Fifty or a hundred years ago, there were a lot more turtles in Minnesota than there are now,” continued Smith. “But now, there are noticeably fewer turtles, because they haven’t been able to adapt. Things are really looking pretty dire for a lot of turtles in the long run.”

There are many ways that citizens can protect the turtles of Minnesota. “One big way is to make sure that turtles have good base habitats,” commented Smith. “Property owners, particularly along lakeshores, can make sure that there are plenty of natural vegetations, and keep pollutants out of the water. There’s also the Minnesota Turtle Crossing Tally and Count Project, where citizens collect data from turtles on roadways to minimize the impact on turtles. That’s been a really important project, and a good way for people to get involved.

“From a ground advocacy standpoint, we also need to make sure our voice is heard, that turtles are important,” continued Smith. “Speak out for the turtles, and the research funding and policy changes that are needed. Let your representatives know how much we value turtles in Minnesota.

“Most people know that turtles can live for a long time,” concluded Smith, “but we think turtles must live for a long time. We want to make sure turtles are here for the future generations of Minnesota.”

Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Ill. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.