conservation and restoration of a blanding’s turtle ......jan 15, 2016 · the turtle was buried...

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PreservingLivingTreasuresinOurBackyards

Conservation and Restoration of a Blanding’s Turtle Population

at Borderland State Park

Final Report of 2015 Accomplishments and Observations

Emilie Schuler Stephanie Liszewski Bryan Windmiller

Grassroots Wildlife Conservation, Inc.

January 15, 2016

With Project Funding From:

Disney World Wildlife Conservation Fund Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife And our generous donors


I. Introduction

Previous trapping data indicated that a significant but senescent population of Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) (MA “Threatened”, state S2) occurred on DCR property at Borderland State Park in Easton and Sharon, MA. With the goal of conserving and potentially augmenting the population, we proposed to trap and radio-track female Blanding’s turtles, search for and protect their nests, gather hatchlings from the nests, and initiate a small headstarting project for this population.

The Borderland State Park Blanding’s turtle site was selected as one of 18 highest priority sites for Blanding’s turtle conservation in the northeastern United States region as part of a regional conservation planning process (Willey and Jones, 2014). Based on data from four earlier surveys (2004 by M. Cooperman and J. Regosin, 2007 by M. Grgurovic, and 2012 by L. Erb), Willey and Jones noted that the Blanding’s turtle population at Borderland S.P. may be senescent and relatively lacking in juvenile turtles.

In 2015 Grassroots Wildlife Conservation (GWC) began the first phase of this project, trapping in two wetlands to capture females for radiotracking. Due to permitting delays, we were not able to trap before the nesting season and therefore will begin phase two – nest protection and headstarting – in 2016. Overall in 2015, we set a total of 22 baited hoop traps on August 5 and checked them every other day until final removal on August 26, 2015. Details on the captures of Blanding’s and other turtles and on our initial radiotelemetry of the captured Blanding’s turtles are provided below.

Figure 1: Map of Borderland State Park and trapping locations (highlighted in yellow). We named our

ponds based on the names of their access trails.

Figure 2: View of Northwest Pond, on the western side of the park. Water levels were fairly low during the August trapping session (max depth 63 cm, aprx. 2 feet) and densely vegetated.

Figure 3: View of Morse Pond, located near the northern edge of Borderland State Park (see map above). The southern end of the pond (seen in the background) is more vegetated than the northern end.

MapredactedtoprotectBlanding’sturtleindividuals.


II. Trapping Methods We set a total of 22 traps in two different wetlands. Both ponds are shallow, fishless ponds that are at least semi-permanent in nature. Both ponds have also been affected in the recent past by beaver dams, thus generally increasing their habitat value to Blanding’s turtles. Trap locations were chosen based on previous trap data and the availability of water. One vernal pool where Blanding’s turtles had been observed in 2012 was dry during our trapping session. Though both ponds chosen had sufficient water for trapping, water levels were relatively low in aaaaaaaaaaa pond (max. observed depth 63 cm), thus constraining our late season trapping effort. Water levels were considerably deeper in aaaaaaaaaaa pond (max. observed depth 101cm). We used three different types of traps: two sizes of three-ring sewn hoop traps (2.5’ and 3’ diameter) and one size of collapsible three-ring hoop trap (1’ diameter). All traps were baited with canned sardines in oil and checked every 48 hours. Due to bait removal in some traps in aaaaaaaaaaa Pond by raccoons (Procyon lotor) and dwindling water levels, some traps in this pond were moved and/or removed early during the 3 week trapping session. Traps were checked every two days and captured turtles were identified and any captured Blanding’s and spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata) were weighed, measured, and individually identified by scute marking following the system devised by Terry Graham (unpublished). Unmarked turtles were given a new, novel scute mark. Additionally we glued radio-transmitters onto the carapace of all adult or near-adult female Blanding’s turtles that we captured (transmitters included both 9g - 15 month battery life models and 35g – 36 month battery life models made by Holohil Systems Ltd.) The bulk of the trapping and turtle processing was carried out by Stephanie Liszewski, who was contracted by GWC for this project. III. Trapping Results

Table 1: Blanding’s Turtle Captures August 5 - 26, 2015

Pond # Traps Set Trap Nights Total # of captures # of captures/100 trap nights

aaaaaaaaaaa Pond

12 227 6 2.6

aaaaaaaaaaa Pond

10 210 11 5.2


In total, we captured six (6) individual Blanding’s turtles, three in each of the two ponds surveyed. All individuals were captured for the first time on either the first or second trap check and each individual was recaptured at least once (2.5 average captures per individual, range 2-4). Four of the 6 Blanding’s turtles captured were females. Of the six turtles we captured, only one was unmarked by previous researchers (turtle #1001, age ~15). Including our study, we have records of 17 individual Blanding’s turtles that have been captured and marked at Borderland since 2004. We have compiled and summarized data on the known turtles in a table below, with their sex, approximate ages, and capture years.

Table 2: Summary of All Known Blanding’s Turtles at Borderland SP

Turtle ID

Sex Minimum Age

Year(s) Captured and Observer Initials*

2004 (JR, MC)

2004 (OA)

2007 (MG)

2012 (LE)

2015 (GWC)

2 M 28 x

20 F Too old to age x

101 M 25 x

102 F 26 x x x

103 M 26 x x

112 F 26 x

301 M 29 x x x x

303 M 24 x x x

305 F Too old to age (min 31) x x x

1001 F 15 x

3024 F Too old to age x x


3307 M Too old to age x



3309 Juvenile 17 x



* Observer initials: JR (Jon Regosin), MC (Mark Cooperman), OA (Oxbow Assoc.), MG (Mark Grgurovic and Swampwalkers Wetlands Wildlife Experts), LE (Lori Erb and MNHESP), GWC (Grassroots Wildlife Conservation). Lori Erb (2012) noted that all but 2 of the turtles she captured showed >90% shell wear, even though based on annuli counted in 2004, at least three of her turtles were likely under 25 years old in 2012. However, we believe that Blanding’s turtles at Borderland, particularly females, may wear down their plastron scutes at a faster rate than at most sites in our area (see Figures 4 and 5 below). This accelerated wear is likely due to the rocky terrain at Borderland SP and also, possibly, the relatively long-distance movements that many turtles make between wetlands at Borderland. As a result, Borderland Blanding’s turtles may be judged to be older than their actual calendar age using shell wear – age associations that hold true in less rocky landscapes.

Figure 4: Plastron of Blanding’s turtle #102 (Female) from Borderland S.P. This turtle was first captured in 2004 and at that time Jon Regosin and Mark Cooperman noted that her annuli indicated she was about 15 years old. That would make her 26 in this photo. It is surprising that such a young turtle would have >90% effacement of annuli on the plastron.

Figure 5: Plastron of Blanding’s turtle female #2027 from Great Meadows population (2012 photo). This turtle was also 26 years old (±1 year) when photographed. Note the much more prominent annuli on this turtle’s plastron compared to the same-aged female #102 from Borderland.


Table 3: Other species of Note

Pond Spotted Turtles (individuals, marked)

Painted Turtles (total)

Snapping Turtles (total)

Amphibians or fish

aaaaaaaaaaa Pond

11 0 4 1 Bullfrog

aaaaaaaa Pond 0 29 1 None

We observed relatively few other species during our trapping session. There were no fish captured, and only one American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) that was found dead in a trap. All 11 captured spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata) were captured on the first trap-check day in aaaaaaaa Pond, eight of which were in a single trap (1 female, 7 males). We individually marked all the spotted turtles, one of which had been previously marked by Lori Erb in 2012.

IV. Telemetry Observations We were able to capture six different Blanding’s turtle individuals: two male, four female. We placed radio-transmitters on all four females. Three of these turtles were located in Northwest Pond (#102, #1001, and #3024) and one was located in aaaaaa Pond (#305) at the time of initial capture. Three of the four radio-tracked turtles were recaptured in the fall (October - November) in order to replace their short-term radios with Holohil 36-month radios. The fourth turtle already had a long-term radio and was not recaptured, though its signal was noted at aaaaaaa Pond. The three turtles ataaaaaaaa Pond remained there up to November, while the turtle at aaaaaaa Pond had moved 827m to the southeast, to a vernal pool complex we are calling aaaaaaa Pond (based on its shape on the map). The turtle was buried 29cm underground in a dry swale, more than five meters from the nearest water in the adjacent vernal pool. This turtle had been observed at this vernal pool in May 2015 by Horace Bryant (pers. comm.), who identified her based on her conspicuous ring of glue on her carapace (see photo below).

Figure 6: Turtle #305, with radio and antenna attached in a ring around carapace. This turtle had been marked and tracked by Mark Grgurovic in 2007, and was observed by Horace Bryant in the spring of 2015. We replaced her expired ring radio with our standard epoxy-glued Holohil radios.


V. Plans for 2016 Our plan is to significantly increase our work at Borderland SP in 2016, as we will be tracking females to their nest sites, protecting nests, and, if available, headstarting hatchlings. We will continue to track the four female Blanding’s turtles through the winter to determine their winter hibernation sites. In April and May 2016, we will launch a second trapping session in order to capture additional turtles that may not have been observed in 2015. Our goal is capture up to eight females to radiotrack and then to protect their nests. Any hatchlings that emerge from protected nests will be taken for headstarting in local schools. We are already working with one local school (Qualters Middle School in Mansfield) and hope to have additional schools join the program as well. Students at Qualters will be visiting Borderland for a field trip in May in order to learn about the habitat and turtles there, and assist us with checking traps. Involving local school children in our conservation projects is part of our mission to engage people of all ages in local conservation and thus build support for wildlife protection.

VI. Reference Cited Lisabeth Willey and Michael Jones. 2014. Northeast Regional Blanding’s Turtle Conservation Plan Site Management Plan: Borderland State Park, Massachusetts. Unpublished report for:Northeast Blanding’s Turtle Working Group and the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Massachusetts. 13pp. Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. 2004. GIS Attribute Table Submitted by M. Cooperman and J. Regosin. Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. Rare Animal Observation Form – Oxbow Associates CPV #1473. Received Jan. 19, 2005.

conservation and restoration of a blanding’s turtle ......jan 15, 2016 · the turtle was buried...

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