Biologists keep an eye out for Island’s next generation of turtles
Ecosystems biologist Connie Miller Retzer lowers a camera into a hole no larger than a loonie and watches as an image of the underground cavity comes to life on a video screen.
A beetle scuttles by and a white egg shard is spotted in the dirt, but if baby western painted turtles nested there over winter, then they’d already climbed out of the hole and made the crawl to Nanaimo’s Diver Lake.
“It looks like they’re all gone,” she said, her eyes still glued to the screen as she gently rotates the snake inspection camera. “It was kind of what I was trying to find out. I don’t see anybody there anymore.”
Nests like these aren’t easy to find for the native turtle, a species-at-risk, but biologists have a little help this year.
Western painted turtles are about to lay the next generation of turtles, and wildlife cameras at Diver Lake and Buttertubs Marsh are mounted and ready to record the action.
There are three known sites in Nanaimo where the reptiles can be found; the most robust population is at Diver Lake where there are about 17, followed by Buttertubs Marsh and Cathers Lake.
Click the link to read more…
Turtle News From Around the World
Conservation
USA:- FGCU students clean up SWFL beaches to help tortoise populations
Cyprus:- Greens outraged over boat dropping off tourists at Lara beach
Health & Medical
India:- 42 rare turtles recovered in Bengal, one arrested
USA:- Bridget The Sea Turtle’s Rehabilitation (Video)
Italy:- Aquarium finally releases rescue turtles after months of rehabilitation
Miscellany
USA:- Tiny snapping turtle thrills Southmoreland Middle School students
USA:- Man tries to get intimate footage of snapping turtle (Video)
Question or Concerns? Want to submit an article to get posted? Email us at [email protected].
Photo from CHRIS BUSH/News Bulletin.
