I'd like to second Dr. Haas' comments on relocating turtles, and extend that to all reptiles and amphibians as a generalization. There are many studies documenting how poorly most reptiles and amphibians do with translocations, from rattlesnakes to box turtles to horned lizards to amphibians. Additionally, there are a handful of deadly reptile and amphibian diseases such as chytrid fungus and ranavirus that can be spread through translocations. I greatly appreciate folks' concern for these animals on roadways (which is a major source of mortality). The best practice is, as Dr. Haas said, to help them move just beyond the road, in the direction they're already heading (provided you can do so safely without risking an accident).
Thanks, Alex -- Alex Wolf Conservation Scientist Scenic Hudson, Inc. Tel: 845 473 4440 Ext 161 Fax: 845 452 7567 aw...@scenichudson.org ____________________ STRENGTHENING OUR IMPACTS, ENGAGING NEW PARTNERS: Our Annual Report <http://www.scenichudson.org/news/publications/annualreport> shows how we're maximizing benefits all can enjoy from the region's great assets. ____________________ > ------------------------------ > > Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2018 18:05:53 -0400 > From: C Haas <cah...@vt.edu> > Subject: Re: Rescued Box Turtle =?utf-8?Q?=E2=80=94?= Where to Relocate? > > --Apple-Mail=_DADE1EF0-2683-43E4-84DD-C3AFDFE68BA4 > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > Content-Type: text/plain; > charset=utf-8 > > Thanks for caring for turtles. Please put it back in the same location = > just a little ways off the road. Whatever direction it was facing when = > you encountered it, that=E2=80=99s the direction it was heading so you = > can put it on the other side of the road if it was attempting to cross. = > Females this time of year are often moving to lay eggs (or returning = > from laying eggs). If you translocate her, she will likely quickly = > start moving looking for something familiar, putting herself at much = > more risk crossing more roads and unfamiliar habitat. =20 > > Here is some information from a box turtle conservation website > > =E2=80=9CRemoving a wild box turtle from their home causes stress for = > them. Box turtles that were born in the wild and were later put into = > captivity tend to have a much shorter life span. Worse than this; some = > people take box turtles from their home, and then release them elsewhere = > into the wild. Box turtles will not simply settle down in a new location = > if moved. More often than not, they will wander aimlessly; hopelessly = > trying to fine their old home until they die. It=E2=80=99s not too = > uncommon for humans to take in box turtles for a few weeks, and then = > later decide to let them go. It=E2=80=99s best never to remove a box = > turtle from their home unless you have a good reason. And if you return = > them to the wild, it must be in the exact same spot you took them from." > http://www.boxturtles.com/box-turtle-conservation/ = > <http://www.boxturtles.com/box-turtle-conservation/> > > There is plenty of scientific literature to support this, for example, = > Hester, J.M. 2008. Journal of Wildlife Management 72(3):772-777. > https://doi.org/10.2193/2007-049 <https://doi.org/10.2193/2007-049> > "To examine effects of relocation on eastern box turtles (Terrapene = > carolina), we compared home ranges and movement patterns of 10 resident = > and 10 relocated box turtles in Davidson, North Carolina, USA. Home = > ranges of relocated turtles were approximately 3 times larger than those = > of resident turtles when measured by minimum convex polygons, 6 times = > larger than resident turtles when measured with 95% kernels and 7.5 = > times larger than resident turtles when measured by 50% kernels. = > Relocated turtles also moved a greater average distance per day than = > resident turtles. Additionally, 5 relocated turtles experienced = > mortality or disappearance compared to no mortality or disappearance of = > resident turtles. Our results raise questions about the success of = > relocation as a management strategy for eastern box turtles.=E2=80=9D =20= > > > As usual, interfering as little as possible is the best policy although = > of course taking turtles off of roadways, if you can do so without = > risking your own safety, is very helpful. Thank you for taking care of = > them! > > =3Dc > > Carola A. Haas > Professor, Wildlife Ecology > Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Conservation > 112 Cheatham Hall (MC 0321) > 310 West Campus Drive, Virginia Tech > Blacksburg, VA 24061 > cah...@vt.edu > 540-231-9269 > http://www.fishwild.vt.edu/faculty/haas.htm = > <http://www.fishwild.vt.edu/faculty/haas.htm> > > > On Jun 15, 2018, at 4:06 PM, John A. <omnipithe...@yahoo.com> wrote: > >=20 > > I=E2=80=99d like to request advice on the best options for = > relocating a box turtle that I rescued from the edge of a busy road this = > morning. =20 > >=20 > > In particular, I=E2=80=99d like to know how territorial box turtles = > can be, and whether a long-term resident pair would be aggressive = > towards a new arrival. My own backyard seems to be good box turtle = > habitat, since I have a male and female (recognizable from unique shell = > markings) which I=E2=80=99ve seen frequently over the past ten years. > >=20 > > That suggests the habitat is suitable, but I=E2=80=99m not sure if = > the resident male and female would behave aggressively towards the = > female I rescued this morning. I=E2=80=99d appreciate hearing from = > anyone who has experience with box turtles, or who could recommend = > someone I could contact for information and advice. My thanks in = > advance for all constructive replies. > >=20 > > = > - J. A. > > >
