Surveying Turtles: How the Zoo’s New Partnership with theTurtleRoom Adds Important Data to Conservation Efforts

Early on a Saturday morning in Adams County, Pennsylvania, a team is on the lookout for what’s considered to be one of the most endangered turtles in the state: the wood turtle.

Wood turtles differentiate themselves from other turtle species by their ornate shells with beautiful ridge designs. They are a hardy, cold tolerant species and found throughout the northeast into Canada. They prefer to live in flowing bodies of water like rivers, creeks and streams that provide places for hibernation and breeding.

“Wood Turtles are a denizen of our Pennsylvania streams,” says Andy Weber, theTurtleRoom Director of Field Programs. “A healthy population is a good indication of high ecological integrity.”

TheTurtleRoom has been doing seasonal surveys in an effort to protect this species for a few years. This year, members of the Zoo’s Reptile & Amphibian team assisted over the course of a few weekends.

“The best part of this work is obvious: finding wood turtles,” says keeper Andrew Ahl. “It’s the hardest game of hide-and-seek. You trudge through the river and on the banks and when you find one, it’s awesome.”

“The experience was amazing,” says keeper Jason Alfandre. “I had the chance to experience first-hand the natural behaviors of wood turtles in different weather conditions. On a rainy day, all the turtles were hunkered down, sitting still at the bottom of the river. On a warm and sunny day, they were out and about, basking on the riverbanks.”

During each survey day, the team walks through streams and woodlands, keeping their eyes out for the species. Once the team finds a wood turtle, they quickly work to gather a few data points. They weigh and measure each turtle before marking it with a notch in its carapace; this allows the team to identify the turtle on future surveys and gain a better understanding of the turtle’s growth, longevity and movements, along with a bigger look of population structure and demographics.

“While in the field, I used my behavioral knowledge of our aquatic turtles at the Zoo to better anticipate where the wood turtles might be hiding,” says keeper Madelyn Pedia. “I loved finding brand-new, unmarked turtles. The excitement from the group was palpable and infectious!”

Wood turtles are vital to the ecosystem in a few different ways. First, they are important in the food chain. They eat small prey like insects and fish along with plant matter. Young wood turtles are also food for animals like raccoons and opossums. Wood turtles serve as an indicator species for their surrounding environment. If a particular population isn’t thriving, it could be a sign that there’s a larger problem with the ecosystem.

“TheTurtleRoom’s volunteer staff comes from diverse backgrounds,” says President and Executive Director Steve Enders.  “We’re united by a shared passion to protect turtles, one of the two most endangered vertebrates. We collaborate with like-minded organizations and have established international partnerships to conserve turtles and tortoises.”

At the Zoo, there are 17 species of turtles and tortoises the keeper team cares for daily, all receiving individualized care. Working with species from around the world daily is the perfect skill to have while out in the field.

“We are trained to handle many different species and properly handle the turtles we find,” says Ahl. “This is how we can take measurements with minimal stress.”

“Teamwork was the most important skill I used in the field that I also use daily as a zookeeper,” says Alfandre. “While conducting surveys, everyone on the team had to be in constant communication with each other regarding potential hazards where we were traveling, but especially when we found a turtle. We had to relay lots of information about the conditions in which the turtle was found to ensure accurate data recording.”

Philadelphia Zoo is proud to support the work of theTurtleRoom and will continue to collaborate on projects like these in the future.