Keep an Eye out for Turtles

By -

MONTPELIER, Vt – It’s springtime and Vermont’s turtles on are on the move.  The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is asking for the public’s help in keeping them safe.  Female turtles are looking for places to deposit their eggs, sometimes choosing to lay along the shoulders of roads, which can end tragically.

“Turtles often cross roads as they search for a nest site,” said Steve Parren, biologist for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.  “They are a slow-moving animal in today’s fast-paced world, so they have a tough time making it safely across the road.  Turtles grow slowly and live a long time, so losing a mature breeding female is a huge loss to the turtle population.” 

Turtle nesting activity peaks from late May through June.  At this time of year, drivers are urged to keep an eye out for turtles in the road, especially when driving near ponds and wetlands. 

To decrease the number of turtles that are killed by vehicles, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has been collecting data to identify stretches of road that are hotspots for wildlife migrations.  They are working closely with VTrans, and with Jim Andrews from the Vermont Reptile & Amphibian Atlas, among other partners.

“When you spot a turtle in the road, you may be able to help it across. First be sure you’re in a safe spot to stop and get out of your car, as human safety comes first,” said Andrews.  “If you’re going to move a turtle off the road, always move it in the direction it was traveling.  They know where they’re going.” 

According to Andrews, most turtles can simply be picked up and carried across the road.  However, if the turtle has no colorful lines, spots, or other markings, it is probably a snapping turtle, so people should not get too close to the animal to avoid being bitten.  Snapping turtle’s necks are nearly as long as their shell.  Instead, people should push the turtle across the road with an object like a shovel or broom. 

Andrews is also asking paddlers, boaters, and anglers to report turtle sightings throughout the state to the Vermont Reptile & Amphibian Atlas website at vtherpatlas.org.  The reports help conservationists keep track of the status of these species in order to act if a species appears to be in decline. 

“Sending in a report is quick and easy,” said Andrews.  “Just snap a photo or two of the turtle, and submit your observation via the website or email.  We’re constantly impressed with Vermonters’ commitment to conservation and willingness to help us save turtles.” 

Observations can be submitted to the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas online at vtherpatlas.org or jandrews@vtherpatlas.org.

For Immediate Release:  March 14, 2018
Media Contacts:  Steve Parren 802-371-7142; Jim Andrews 802-352-4734

Popular posts from this blog

Vermont Angler Completes First-ever ‘Master Angler Sweep’

By -
Image
COLCHESTER, Vt. – Drew Price of Colchester, VT, has completed the state’s first-ever ‘Master Angler Sweep’ by catching at least one trophy-sized specimen of all 33 eligible fish species that are part of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s Master Angler Program. Price spent eight years in his quest to be the first to catch and enter all 33 species in the Vermont program.  “This is a remarkable achievement,” said fisheries biologist Shawn Good, who founded the Master Angler Program with fisheries biologist Jud Kratzer and currently administers it.  “He called me from the lake moments after landing his final species – a 30-inch pike-pickerel hybrid.  He was kind of deliriously happy and I don't blame him.” Price, who started fly fishing in 1993, said “Once I found fishing, I was like ‘this is it, this is my calling.’” In 2010, he began entering fish in the department’s new Master Angler Program, spending the time he wasn’t working as a full-time school ...
Read more

Public Hearings Set for Deer, Moose

By -
Image
Hunters, landowners and anyone else interested in deer and moose should plan on attending one of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife public hearings being held in March and May. The hearings will include results of Vermont’s 2017 deer and moose seasons and prospects for hunting next fall as well as an opportunity for people to provide their observations and opinions regarding deer and moose.  The hearings will also include a review of the proposed 2018 moose hunting season and an opportunity for the public to comment.  On February 21, the Fish & Wildlife Board preliminarily approved issuing moose permits for the 2018 season.  The Fish & Wildlife Department’s big game team recommended that only 14 permits for bull moose be issued for the October hunting seasons.  The permits would be for WMUs E1 and E2 in the Northeast Kingdom, where moose numbers are close to biologists’ density goals.   The number of moose hunting permits was reduced from 80 in...
Read more

Release of Aquarium Fish or Plants is an Environmental Threat

By -
Image
ESSEX, Vt. – Keeping an aquarium with tropical fish and plants can be fun and educational.  But, releasing these fish or plants outdoors can be harmful to native species and is prohibited by Vermont law according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.  Many of the common tropical fishes and aquatic plants kept in home aquariums originate from Central and South America, Africa and southeast Asia.  While some are imported, others are raised here, most notably in Florida.  Unfortunately, some exotic fishes are released into the wild each year by their owners.  People may not be able to take their fish with them when they move, or they may simply lose interest in maintaining an aquarium.  Some tropical fish also can grow too large for their aquarium.  There are several good reasons not to release aquarium fishes and plants into the wild.  If they survive, and reproduce, they are difficult, if not impossible to control or eradicate...
Read more