Texas turtles are dying and state officials don’t know why
Dozens of turtles across Texas have been found dead or dying in the past four months and experts don’t know why.
Since Texas Parks and Wildlife staff first noticed the occurrences in November, they’ve documented about 60 deaths among four different species of freshwater turtles in Fort Worth, Houston and Jasper, department spokeswoman Aubry Buzek said.
The affected turtles have usually been found alone, either near the shore or out of the water, Stephanie Garcia, another department spokesperson, said. Those still alive are lethargic and seem reluctant to move or escape when approached. Their eyes appear to either be swollen or caked closed with exudate, she said. Testing has shown they are terminally septic, meaning their bodies are fighting severe infections that have spread through the bloodstream.
Investigators have not yet determined a cause and are not certain if the incidents are related, though they noted the tested turtles have shared some commonalities. Among those is a bacteria, which is not generally known to cause disease but which could be a secondary issue, Garcia said. Scientists suspect a possible viral cause, and are working to obtain more information.
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