March 22-23, 2013- North Carolina Zoological
Park, Asheboro, NC
Reprinted Courtesy of HerpDigest.org, with the permission of the
North American Box Turtle Conservation Committer www.boxturtleconservation.org.
Part 1
Abstract of Presentations
1) Epidemiology and Treatment of
Ranaviral Disease in North American Chelonians
2) Development of a Health Screening Protocol and
Incorporating it into an Existing Field Project
3) Survivorship and Home Range of Head-started
Juvenile Eastern Box Turtles
4) Rural Box Turtles in Missouri Have Bigger Home
Ranges and Lower Corticosterone Levels Than Urban Ones
5) Box Turtles: Connecting People to
Nature
6) Identifying Layers of Opportunity: How Box
Turtles Can Help Promote Partnerships Which Include Foresters, Researchers,
Developers, Educators, Conservationists, and the General Public.
7) Current Status of the Box Turtle Terrapene
coahuila in the Wetlands of Cuatrocienegas Coahuila
8) Impact of Railroad Tracks on Box Turtles (and
Other Species of Turtles)
9) Home Range, Habitat Use, and Mortality of
Hatchling and Juvenile Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata ornata) in
Iowa
10) A Population Study of the Eastern Box Turtle
(Terrapene carolina) in the Piedmont of North Carolina
11) Experimental Challenge Study of Ranavirus
Infection in Previously Infected Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina
carolina) to Assess Immunity
12) Landscape Use and Movement of Three-toed Box
Turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis) During Drought
Conditions
13) Rangewide Population Genetics of the Eastern
Box Turtle Terrapene c. carolina
14) Ornate Box Turtles in the Sand Hills of
Colorado: Population Structure and Behavioral Ecology
15) The Georgia Sea Turtle Center: Connecting
Eastern Box Turtle Rehabilitation, Population Health and Disease Monitoring,
Education and Research
16) Establishment of a Reference Interval for
Fibrinogen in Ornate Box Turtles (Terrepene ornata ornata)
17) Under Fire: Responses of Eastern Box Turtles
to Prescribed Burns
18)Response of the Eastern Box Turtle
(Terrapene carolina carolina) to Silviculture Treatments in the Valley
and Ridge Province of East Tennessee
19) Population Characteristics and Habitat Use of
Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata) within Restored and Remnant
Tallgrass Prairies
20) A Dollar a Turtle or How Your State Can
Gather Long-term, Widespread Data on a Budget
21)Reintroduction Program Reveals Homing Behavior
and a Previously Unknown Nesting Strategy in Terrapene
ornata
22) The Impacts of Intraspecific Variation on
Phylogenetic Resolution in Terrapene
23) Husbandry Techniques Used during a Ranavirus
Outbreak in Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene
carolina carolina) at the Maryland
Zoo in Baltimore
____________________________________________________
This Workshop is dedicated to the memory
of
Dr. Susan Hagood
(December 27, 1956 - November 8,
2011)
Dr. Susan Hagood, herpetologist and conservationist,
was a founding member of the North American Box Turtle Conservation Committee
and she played a key role in organizing the box turtle conservation workshops.
This fourth workshop, held in March 2013 in Asheboro, North Carolina, is
dedicated to her memory.
Susan was a tireless worker and spokesperson on behalf of wildlife welfare and conservation. For more than twenty years, she served as a Wildlife Specialist with the Humane Society of the United States. Her work at HSUS focused on wildlife protection, particularly turtles and tortoises. She became a leader in efforts to develop innovative ways for wildlife to safely cross or travel under roadways.
While working at HSUS, Susan earned her Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Maryland, College Park. Competed in 2009, her dissertation, was titled: “Genetic Differentiation of Selected Eastern Box Turtle Populations in Fragmented Habitats, and a Comparison of Road-based Mortality Rates to Population Size.”
Susan discovered that Maryland box turtle populations that were separated by as much as 50 or 60 miles, were very similar in their genetic makeup. She concluded that roads and highways, which are potential barriers to population mixing, had not been in place long enough for populations to differentiate genetically. Susan also found that the rate of road mortality was about 5% annually for local populations; a seemingly low rate, but nonetheless high enough to lead to steady, long-term population declines. Susan was often accompanied in the field by Drew, her chocolate Labrador retriever, who she had trained to find box turtles. Together they logged hundreds if not thousands of hours in fields and woods during her studies.
Susan was a joy and an inspiration to many. Susan was consistently optimistic and positive towards the conservation projects she headed up and even towards her adversaries. She was a driving force behind the successful effort to find and translocate hundreds of box turtles from the path of an 18-mile long highway that was under construction in Montgomery County, Maryland. This project demonstrated that it is feasible to catch and release chelonians that face imminent destruction resulting from a development project. Susan earned the respect and support of the State Highway Department and Department of Natural Resources in this effort and the project generated much positive media coverage.
Susan leaves behind a legacy and a body of scientific work that will be used by all of us who work to sustain and protect turtle populations.
Susan was a tireless worker and spokesperson on behalf of wildlife welfare and conservation. For more than twenty years, she served as a Wildlife Specialist with the Humane Society of the United States. Her work at HSUS focused on wildlife protection, particularly turtles and tortoises. She became a leader in efforts to develop innovative ways for wildlife to safely cross or travel under roadways.
While working at HSUS, Susan earned her Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Maryland, College Park. Competed in 2009, her dissertation, was titled: “Genetic Differentiation of Selected Eastern Box Turtle Populations in Fragmented Habitats, and a Comparison of Road-based Mortality Rates to Population Size.”
Susan discovered that Maryland box turtle populations that were separated by as much as 50 or 60 miles, were very similar in their genetic makeup. She concluded that roads and highways, which are potential barriers to population mixing, had not been in place long enough for populations to differentiate genetically. Susan also found that the rate of road mortality was about 5% annually for local populations; a seemingly low rate, but nonetheless high enough to lead to steady, long-term population declines. Susan was often accompanied in the field by Drew, her chocolate Labrador retriever, who she had trained to find box turtles. Together they logged hundreds if not thousands of hours in fields and woods during her studies.
Susan was a joy and an inspiration to many. Susan was consistently optimistic and positive towards the conservation projects she headed up and even towards her adversaries. She was a driving force behind the successful effort to find and translocate hundreds of box turtles from the path of an 18-mile long highway that was under construction in Montgomery County, Maryland. This project demonstrated that it is feasible to catch and release chelonians that face imminent destruction resulting from a development project. Susan earned the respect and support of the State Highway Department and Department of Natural Resources in this effort and the project generated much positive media coverage.
Susan leaves behind a legacy and a body of scientific work that will be used by all of us who work to sustain and protect turtle populations.
____________________________________________________
1) Epidemiology and Treatment of Ranaviral
Disease in North American Chelonians
Matthew Allender,1,3
Mark A. Mitchell,1 and Sherry Cox2
1Department of Comparative Biosciences, University
of Illinois, Urbana, IL
2Department of Comparative Medicine, University of
Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Ranaviruses have been proposed as a major threat to
amphibian biodiversity, and the impact of these pathogens on reptiles is less
well understood. A quantitative PCR was developed using TaqMan that was 100%
efficient in detecting the major capsid protein of frog virus 3 (FV3) in turtle
samples. The overall prevalence of Ranaviruses in a study of 606 Eastern box
turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) across the SE US was 1.3%, with a
non-significantly higher prevalence in juveniles than adults. The low prevalence
found in this population supports the theory that this virus is associated with
acute disease/death. Subsequently, red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta
elegans) were challenged with FV3 and demonstrated higher mortality rates
when maintained at 22°C than at 28°C, supporting the theory that
this virus is less virulent at higher temperatures. FV3 DNA was detected in
whole blood, oral swabs, and cloacal swabs. The sensitivity and specificity of
detection in both whole blood samples and cloacal swabs when compared to
necropsy was 100%, while the sensitivity and specificity in oral swabs was found
to be 83% and 100%, respectively. Clinical signs observed in experimentally
infected red-eared sliders included lethargy, conjunctivitis, oral plaques, oral
ulcers, and injection site swelling, while those in box turtles were fractures
and diarrhea. Treatment of ranavirus with anti-viral therapy has been reported
to have variably poor success, but was based on anecdotal dosing
recommendations. Pharmacokinetic analysis in box turtles of a single oral dose
of valcyclovir demonstrated measureable levels, and may prove useful against
this virus.
2) Development of a Health Screening Protocol and
Incorporating it into an Existing Field Project
Matthew Allender
Department of Comparative Biosciences, University
of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Outbreaks and potential population declines due to
disease or health related factors have been increasingly reported. The cause and
progression of many of these diseases are unknown and relate to the lack of
baseline knowledge of populations. Therefore, collecting baseline information on
routine health parameters might be critical to identifying emerging threats and
response to disease outbreaks. Several diagnostic modalities are available and
might be quite confusing. A brief overview and interpretation of hematology,
plasma biochemistries, disease epidemiology, serology, protein electrophoresis,
and toxicology will be presented.
3) Survivorship and Home Range of Head-started
Juvenile Eastern Box Turtles
Kimberly M. Andrews1,2,3, Joseph E. Colbert1, and Terry M. Norton1
1Jekyll Island Authority Georgia
Sea Turtle Center, Jekyll Island, GA
2University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology
Laboratory, Aiken, SC
Urbanization is increasing rapidly resulting in
growing rates of human-wildlife interactions that are detrimental to native
animals. Eastern box turtles, Terrapene carolina, are a priority example of
species experiencing declines throughout their range. Effects from habitat loss,
road mortality, injury by domestic pets, collection for the pet trade, and
reduced health in wild populations have all been documented. Displaced, injured,
and deceased animals are periodically admitted to the Jekyll Island State Park
Authority’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) on Jekyll Island, GA. Eggs are
recovered from injured and freshly-dead females and subsequently incubated in
the hospital. Additionally, individuals that cannot be rehabilitated to the
point of wild release are placed in our outdoor educational display where they
reproduce with other captive adults. Eggs are allowed to incubate in situ in the
display. Hatchlings are head-started at the GSTC until their second year and at
least 130 grams in order to reduce the risk of predation upon release into the
wild. Using health assessment and radio telemetry methodologies, we evaluate
survivorship, growth, habitat use, and movement patterns in the wild. This
assessment can be used to guide future rehabilitation and management priorities
in determining whether head-started individuals can contribute to the viability
of local populations and therefore, whether head-starting is an appropriate and
responsible technology in these situations. To date, all nine juveniles have
survived and continue to exhibit positive growth rates. Home range sizes are
2.49 ha on average but substantial intraspecific variation has been observed. We
will additionally present future direction in research on Jekyll’s resident box
turtle population and the continued monitoring of head-started
juveniles.
4) Rural Box Turtles in Missouri Have Bigger Home
Ranges and Lower Corticosterone Levels Than Urban Ones
Stephen Blake1,2,7, Corinne Kozlowski3, Jenny Fung4, Joanna Wang5, Sharon L. Deem6
1 Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in
Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
2Current Address: Whitney R. Harris World Ecology
Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
3Research Dept., St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis,
MO
4Biology Program, Washington University in St.
Louis, St. Louis, MO
5Environmental Biology Program, Washington
University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
6Institute for Conservation Medicine, St. Louis
Zoo, St. Louis, MO
Box turtles were once ubiquitous through much of the
eastern and central United States, but are now in steep decline due to a
combination of habitat loss and fragmentation, road kill, disease and the live
turtle trade for food and pets. Despite Archie Carr’s assertion that “everyone
likes box turtles”, lack of understanding of these threats means that the public
remains largely unaware of this conservation crisis. Since 1) populations of box
turtles can occur close to urban centers, and 2) there is an urgent need for
better data on trends in ranging, health, and demography of box turtles in
relation to human activities, an opportunity exists to combine research,
management and hands-on outreach in a unified conservation framework.
In 2012 we initiated a pilot project in St. Louis,
Missouri, to quantify home range size and health status of box turtle
populations in urban and rural conditions, generate a meaningful local outreach
program, and assess the options for developing a long term conservation
initiative. The project took place in Forest Park, in St. Louis city, and the
Tyson Research Center, a rural site some 20km from the city limits. Forest Park
is a 556ha mosaic of woodland fragments embedded in a traditional city parkscape
of golf courses, playing fields, lakes, and other recreation areas traversed by
roads and bike trails. Tyson Research Center is an 809ha fenced, protected
oak-hickory forest block bisected by one tarmacked road and a network of tracks.
We fitted VHF tags to ten adult turtles at each site and regularly recorded
their locations using GPS through the summer until brumation. We completed
biophysical exams and took blood samples from tagged individuals and a further
63 turtles at the two sites.
The mean home range (MCP) of urban turtles
( was two orders of magnitude smaller than that of
rural turtles (
. The mean blood corticosterone level
of urban turtles was over twice that of rural turtles .
We currently have no causal explanations for these
results, though likely reasons include that the small forest fragments of Forest
Park may limit turtle movements compared to the larger rural habitat which
increases physiological stress. Moreover, the heavy human use of Forest Park may
lead to high levels of disturbance for these urban turtles.
Outreach activities included introducing several
groups of local school children to the turtles of Forest Park, and integrating
undergraduates and high school students as part time research technicians. The
level of interest and enthusiasm of all participants was extremely high, and
resulted in a series of posters, promotional videos, and other outreach
products.
Our pilot study revealed that 1) while large urban
parks can support box turtle populations, their ecology and health may be
compromised compared to rural populations, and that 2) studies of urban box
turtle populations and those close to large cities and towns provide exciting
opportunities for outreach to local people with potentially high conservation
and societal impacts.
5) Box Turtles: Connecting People to
Nature
Kimberly Burge
NC Wildlife Resources Commission, Centennial
Campus Center for Wildlife Education, Raleigh, NC
The Centennial Campus Center for Wildlife Education
is located in Raleigh, N.C., and is the piedmont region education center run by
the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Since July 2007 our program participants
have been using radio telemetry to track and monitor a population of wild box
turtles in Lake Raleigh Woods, a 90 + acre forest on North Carolina State
University’s Centennial Campus. We became the first monitoring study site for
the North Carolina Box Turtle Collaborative’s long term box turtle
mark-recapture project started in 2008. We have incorporated the radio
telemetry, mark-recapture studies, and mark-recapture studies with turtle
tracking dogs in our regular programing at our education center with great
success. Our audience is a very urban population with some fears associated with
woodland exploration. Box turtles are charismatic and usually well liked which
makes them excellent ambassadors during our outdoor program. The box turtles
provide a connection with nature and at the same time offer the opportunity for
real-life data collection, citizen science projects, and hands-on technology
use. This presentation will go over our project history, how we have integrated
the research into our educational programming, challenges and obstacles we’ve
encountered along the way, and also the benefits and rewards.
6) Identifying Layers of Opportunity: How Box
Turtles Can Help Promote Partnerships Which Include Foresters, Researchers,
Developers, Educators, Conservationists, and the General Public.
John Byrd1, the CRESO Research Team,
and the CRESO Education/Research
Team
Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization
(CRESO), Clinton, TN
As we exited our 11ha timber harvest study site, we
were sternly, but politely, confronted by the developer of the subdivision
adjacent to the harvest zone. He shared with us his displeasure on the
difficulty of selling houses located next to an unsightly “mess of cut trees.”
So there we stood at the boundary of two heavily impacted landscapes – on one
site, trees would return through a slow successional process, while on the
other, trees would be rapidly transformed into houses. We were struck by the
fact that our Box Turtle study and its focus on research questions
(survivorship, movement patterns etc.) had narrowed our thinking and resulted in
overlooking important educational and partnership possibilities. It is not
uncommon for government agencies to provide stakeholders a format for
discussion. Unfortunately, the reality of this input design is often politically
motivated. Providing “layers of opportunity” for stakeholders – landowners,
developers, researchers, foresters, educators, etc. –impacted by forestry or
development practices requires recognition of what the potential wins are for
all parties. Ideas for using Box Turtles –the poster critter of forest and
field–to develop partnerships, and promote positive landscape options and
educational strategies will be presented.
7) Current Status of the Box Turtle Terrapene
coahuila in the Wetlands of Cuatrocienegas Coahuila
Juan Gamaliel Castañeda Gaytán1,3, Jorge E. Becerra López2, Alejandra Cueto Mares1, Sara Valenzuela Ceballos1 and Ivonne Salas Westphal1
1Departamento de Ciencias
Biológicas,
Universidad Juárez del Estado de
Durango, Durango, Mexico
2Laboratorio de Sistemática Molecular del Centro de
Investigaciones Biológicas Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Hildago,
Mexico
The box turtle (Terrapene coahuila) is the
flagship species of the conservation area, Cuatrocienegas, Coahuila. Its
importance is that it is one of the most charismatic semi-aquatic vertebrates of
the valley that are basis of numerous conservation efforts due to their
association with water bodies. Thus, it is considered a potential species to
assess the health of wetlands and therefore identify whether conservation
practices are effective today. As part of compliance with the National
Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) the Mexican government has
invested resources to meet the current situation of the box turtle and then
implement a simple method to maintain a constant monitoring of the populations
of this seriously threatened and endangered species. From June 2010 to May 2011,
we assessed an area of 30 hectares 4 or 5 days per month. In addition, we
selected 143 sites distributed throughout the valley to search for live turtles
or traces of turtle and evaluate their potential distribution using ecological
niche models (MAXENT). For sites where live specimens were observed, data were
taken as to the type of microhabitat and water (if observed within the pools).
All specimens were marked with notches in the shell. The general analysis of the
population describes the proportion of individuals recorded per unit area, the
proportion of age classes, sex and habitat use. Additionally, radio tags were
placed on the carapace of 14 male and female T. coahuila to assess the
areas of activity during two different periods of the years 2011 and 2012.
Preliminary results point out that the species is found in wetlands in the
valley with a high degree of fragmentation. There is a high probability of box
turtles occurring within an area of 1.5 km sq. (intensive sampling site). Over a
larger area of slightly greater than 7 km sq, the probability of box turtles
occurring drops to 51%. Within the intensive sampling site, we collected
approximately 95 individuals during the first year of study with a sex ratio
male: female 1:0.53. Extrapolating the abundance of individuals per unit area of
search yielded an approximate abundance of 3.16 ind / ha, which is a very small
population for the entire valley (potentially 461 to 2268 turtles). In most
cases, turtles were observed in wetlands with a depth less than 50 cm. In the
case of individuals observed on land, most were located near plants of the genus
Eleocharis, Scirpus, and Distichlis (species associated
with permanent water film). The months with the greatest possibility of seeing
active turtles were recorded. Area of activity, has been estimated at 3 hectares
for females and 5 hectares for males. These findings suggest a use of space that
is higher than previously reported by Brown (1968) for this species. We are
currently developing a monitoring program based on information obtained during
the last two years of study and which will provide answers to major questions
about why and where we should sample the box turtle population in the Valley of
Cuatrocienegas to encourage its conservation
8) Impact of Railroad Tracks on Box Turtles (and
Other Species of Turtles)
Christian A. d’Orgeix1,2,5, J.C. Mitchell3,
and T. Laxson4
1National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, Durham,
NC
2Current address: Department of Biology, Virginia
State University, Petersburg, VA
3Mitchell Ecological Research Service, LLC, High
Springs, FL
4USGS Gap Analysis Program, Moscow,
ID
Railroads represent the largest terrestrial
transportation infrastructure system in the U.S., after roads. Reports of
railroad track impacts on turtles are mainly anecdotal, e.g., posing as barriers
to seasonal movement between habitats, interfering with female nest site
selection, and mortality of turtles trapped between the rails. We conducted
weekly turtle censuses May - August 2005 and May - November 2006 using two 1.65
km sections of railroad track in Prince George County, Virginia to address the
following questions: (1) What percentage of turtles encountered were box
turtles? (2) Do railroad tracks contribute to box turtle mortality? (3) Are
differences in sex accurate predictors of which turtles will be impacted by
railroad tracks? (4) How do box turtles become trapped between the tracks? In
addition, as a first step in accessing the potential global impacts of railroad
tracks on turtles and the broad conservation problems associated with this
transportation system, we used Geographic Information System (GIS) data to
estimate how many turtles might be impacted by railroad tracks in the State of
Virginia, USA over a similar period to our study. We found 38 turtles comprising
seven species with eastern box turtles, Terrapene carolina carolina,
composing 58% of all turtles encountered. Approximately equal numbers of turtles
were found between the tracks and on the outside of the tracks, however, the
mortality rate was 83% for turtles found between the tracks. There were no
significant differences between male and female sex ratios in T. c.
carolina. For turtles to access to our census area, tracks through railroad
crossings would require moving 1-2.5 km distance, suggesting that the two
primary means of accessing railroad tracks were climbing over the rails or
passing under the rails through gaps. We estimate that thousands of turtles
would suffer mortality or interference with movement to nesting sites or
seasonal habitat shifts along Virginia's 7,450 km of railroad tracks.
9) Home Range, Habitat Use, and Mortality of
Hatchling and Juvenile Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata ornata) in
Iowa
Rachel Hannah Fendrich
Cornell College, Mount Vernon, IA
The ornate box turtle, Terrapene ornata
ornata, is threatened in Iowa, as the species’ prairie habitat has mostly
been converted into agricultural land, reducing and fragmenting natural habitat,
increasing contact with motor vehicles, farm implements, and most likely with
mesopredators like raccoons, which thrive around humans and edge habitats. Our
long-term project strives to understand the ecology and natural history of the
second largest population of T. ornata in Iowa and provide information to
management agencies to help develop conservation plans for this species. Perhaps
the largest gap in our knowledge of ornate box turtles pertains to the biology
of juveniles or hatchlings, as they are both uncommon and secretive. With the
advent of miniature radio telemetry transmitters, we have begun monitoring
hatchling and juvenile turtles to obtain data on home range, habitat, and
microhabitat. I will discuss the results from our first two years of efforts at
tracking hatchlings and juveniles. We tracked 19 adult turtles, 12 hatchling
turtles, and 9 juvenile turtles in the Hawkeye Wildlife Area in Johnson County,
Iowa, during the summers of 2011 and 2012 using radio telemetry. We recorded
each turtle’s GPS coordinates daily and calculated their home ranges using 95%
fixed kernels and minimum convex polygons. In addition, we gathered data on
mortality, habitat, and microhabitat used by these turtles.
Mean adult weekly and monthly home ranges were
consistently larger than weekly and monthly juvenile and hatchling home ranges.
Juvenile home ranges were not significantly different than hatchling home
ranges.
Habitat and microhabitat preferences varied based on
age. Juveniles were far more likely than either adults or hatchlings to be found
in a forest habitat, while hatchlings were more likely to be found in prairie.
No age group spent more time in agricultural fields, even though the nesting
area was within 100 meters of agriculture. Hatchlings were far more likely to be
found buried than were juveniles or adults. While our sample remains small in
both number of individuals and duration of individual observations for
hatchlings, it appears that compared to older turtles, hatchlings have smaller
home ranges and use fewer different habitat types. This may simply reflect
reduced movement compared to older turtles. If they do not move far from the
nesting site in the first month after emerging, they will encounter mostly
prairie habitat. The reduced movement may reflect simple size scaling of
movements or a greater need to remain underground to avoid predators or high
daytime temperatures.
During 2011, one hatchling died from human causes;
during the summer of 2012, all seven of our hatchlings were preyed upon within
two months of the time we began tracking them. While it remains unclear whether
predation on nests, hatchlings and juveniles is artificially high at our site,
predation on early life stages is substantial; our data suggest that the nesting
site and the immediate surrounding area might be an appropriate and
cost-effective focus for conservation measures.
10) A Population Study of the Eastern Box Turtle
(Terrapene carolina) in the Piedmont of North Carolina
John D. Groves1 and Jessica Foti
North Carolina Zoological Park, Asheboro,
NC
Population studies are important to understanding
the dynamics of declining Box Turtle populations throughout their range, yet few
recent long- term studies are available for comparison in different parts of
this turtle’s extensive historical distribution throughout North America. In
order to contribute population information on a basically undisturbed protected
population in the Piedmont of North Carolina we conducted a mark/recapture study
from 2002 - 2011 to establish baseline information. A total of 503 turtles were
captured and marked and 51% of these turtles were recaptured between one and
three times during the study period. We examined meristic characters, body
condition, color patterns, activity patterns, and population structure. Some
information on reproduction and mortality in this population will be discussed.
Turtles in this population are active during all seasons with normal activity
patterns between April and November. Activity patterns appear to be similar
between males and females, with the height of activity in the summer months.
More turtle activity is correlated with some rain activity within a 48 hr.
period. Approximately one third of the population was active when no rain event
occurred and two-thirds were active during rain events. Box Turtles are more
active between 21-32 º C. Box Turtles are active throughout daylight hours
during their active periods. Most turtles are found between 0800 until 1500 each
day of activity. There is a steady decline of Box Turtles activity in the
afternoon. Population size is estimated to be between 800-1000 turtles on 500
acres. Density of this population is approximately 1 turtle per acre. Age
structure between the sexes appears to be similar for this population of Box
turtles. Age estimates are between hatchlings and 50 years of age, with the
majority of the population between 10-30 years. Home range of several turtles
were investigated by radio telemetry. Home range sizes ranged from one acre in a
disturbed area to 11 acres in an undisturbed area. This population had very few
health concerns, with shell damage by predators being the most important
concern. Information gained from this baseline study should be repeated
periodically in the future to monitor trends and health of this
population.
11) Experimental Challenge Study of Ranavirus
Infection in Previously Infected Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina
carolina) to Assess Immunity
Jennifer C. Hausmann1,8, Allison N. Wack1, Matthew C. Allender2, Michael R. Cranfield1, Kevin J. Murphy3, Kevin Barrett4, Jennell L. Romero5, James F. Wellehan6, Chris Zink7, and Ellen Bronson1
1Medical Department, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Baltimore,
MD
2Department of Comparative Biosciences, University
of Illinois, Urbana, IL
3Animal Department, The Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia,
PA
4Animal Department, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore,
Baltimore, MD
5Comparative Pathology, School of Medicine, Johns
Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
6Zoological Medicine Service, University of Florida College
of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL
7Comparative Medicine Retrovirus Bio Laboratory,
School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore lost 13 of 27 captive
Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) to an outbreak of
Ranavirus (100% homology to 531 bp segment of FV3 MCP) during the summer
of 2011. To assess survival and shedding post-infection, an experimental
challenge study was performed, in which the surviving, previously infected
turtles were re-infected with the outbreak strain of Ranavirus that was
harvested in terrapene heart cell lines (TH-1). Seven turtles were inoculated
with a predetermined dose of infectious virus IM and four control turtles were
injected with an equal volume of saline IM. The turtles were monitored for 9
weeks with blood and oral swabs collected for PCR and antibody testing. During
that time only one of the seven (14.3%) inoculated turtles and none of the
controls (0%) died; there was no significant difference in survival. All
clinical signs seen in the inoculated turtles, except for the turtle that died,
were very mild (lethargy, weight loss, oral ulcers, sublingual swelling, skin
excoriations, ocular discharge and periocular swelling) when compared to the
severe clinical signs shown by these turtles during the previous outbreak. The
inoculated turtle that died showed intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in the
kidney, lungs, pancreas, liver, and vas deferens; vasculitis in the spleen,
pancreas, lungs, and liver; nephritis; pnuemonia; esophagitis; hepatitis; and
enteritis. Five of the surviving ten turtles were euthanized at the end of the
study for histopathology and PCR testing. The remaining five turtles began
normal brumation.
12) Landscape Use and Movement of Three-toed Box
Turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis) During Drought
Conditions
Lynne W. Hooper1 and Dylan C. Kesler
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences,
University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
Adult Three-toed box turtles (Terrapene carolina
triunguis) were captured in Thomas S. Baskett Wildlife Research and
Education Area, in Boone County, Missouri. The variable topography of the study
area includes a floodplain of Brushy Creek bounded by a steep rock cliff on the
south and a series of ridges to the north. Turtles were captured for study
during visual surveys, and weighed, measured, sexed, and fitted with radio
telemetry transmitters and temperature loggers. Temperature loggers were also
distributed throughout the study area to measure ambient conditions. Four female
and 6 male turtles were tracked daily for 30 days, beginning on 2 July 2012.
Average regional temperatures during the month of July were the highest on
record, exceeding the normal value by 4.5°C, and precipitation for July
was 8.61 cm below normal. We used generalized linear mixed models to evaluate
relationships between turtle temperatures, movement rates, the position of the
turtle on the landscape, and ambient climate conditions. Results indicated that
turtles were cooler than nearby ambient conditions (P < 0.0001), and
that daily fluctuation in turtle temperatures was less than fluctuation in
ambient temperatures (P < 0.0001). Results further illustrated a
positive relationship between daily low relative humidity and the distance of
study subjects to a nearby ephemeral stream (P = 0.0336). Further, the
daily rate of movement (m/d) was positively associated with ambient relative
humidity and negatively associated with daily mean ambient temperature (P
< 0.0001 for both). We found no association between the elevation of
turtles and temperature or humidity, and there was no difference in the movement
rates of males and females. Movement rates, turtle temperatures, and proximity
to the ephemeral stream were all associated with climate conditions, which
supports previous findings that turtles use behavioral mechanisms to actively
manage internal thermal conditions. Even during climatic conditions of high
temperatures and drought, Three-toed box turtles were able to maintain lower
temperatures and avoid evaporative water loss.
13) Rangewide Population Genetics of the Eastern Box
Turtle Terrapene c. carolina
Kimble, Steven J.A.1,3, O.E. Rhodes Jr2, and Rod N. Williams1
1Department of Forestry and Natural Resources,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
2Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken,
SC
The eastern box turtle Terrapene c. carolina
is experiencing population declines across its range. The genetic consequences
of such declines vary considerably, especially in long-lived taxa such as
Testudines. For example, declines in census numbers may reduce the genetic
diversity available for a species to evolve responses to novel challenges such
as climate change or emerging diseases. Genetic considerations are also
paramount in designing conservation management practices such as head starting
or transplantation. To address these gaps in knowledge we collected samples from
approximately 1550 individuals from the full range of the species and genotyped
them at eleven highly polymorphic microsatellite loci. Genetic diversity is high
(mean observed heterozygosity = 0.756) and our data suggested the species is
defined by two genetic populations. We sampled intensely (n ≈ 600) within two
contiguous state forests in Indiana and found that mean pairwise relatedness
among individuals was low (mean relatedness = 0.002), suggesting high dispersal
in this species and low chance of inbreeding depression. The low level of
population structure also suggests high gene flow, a surprising result in light
of multiple studies demonstrating low vagility among most adults. These
conclusions should be interpreted cautiously, however, as the genetic signatures
observed may be biased by sampling of mainly adults, and may therefore represent
a historical signal rather than contemporary genetic processes.
14) Ornate Box Turtles in the Sand Hills of Colorado:
Population Structure and Behavioral Ecology
Ann-Elizabeth Nash1,5, Caitlin Wilhelm2, Graham Dawson3, and Jason F. Martin4
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
2 Department of
Biology, Missouri State
University, Springfield, MO
3Department of Biology,
Skidmore College, Saratoga
Springs, NY
4Zoology Program,
Colorado State University,
Ft Collins, CO
For the past 6 years, beginning in 2007, the
Colorado Box Turtle Project (CoBTP) has studied a population of Terrapene
ornata ornata on ~50 hectares of sand hills habitat on the Eastern Plains of
Colorado. The site is a human disturbed cattle ranch with numerous gas wells,
all of which were hydraulically fractured in 2011. At least 160 turtles use the
site (density = 3.18 turtles/ha) consisting of 44% females, 35% males, and 21%
juveniles with the population skewed in favor of females. A shell damage scale
was created, with females experiencing 22% less shell damage than males. Plant
surveys were conducted identifying more than 100 species with two internal sites
compared using the Jaccard diversity index.
Since 2010, 10 box turtles (6 females and 4 males)
have been tracked with radio telemetry, located three times per week from
mid-May through August, and intermittently from September through December. GPS
locations were recorded to show turtle movements and understand home range size.
Ambient temperature and humidity loggers were used in 2011 to determine
preferred ranges of turtles at this site. Most turtles are active mid-April
through mid-September depending on rainfall, spending the winter hibernating
underground, primarily using rodent burrows. Tracking data reveals high site
fidelity to hibernacula location as well as preferred locations during summer
months. Females move to preferred nesting locations and return to favored
foraging/living areas; hibernacula sites are usually a third different location.
Dietary items include various beetles, White-lined sphinx (Hyles lineata)
larva, cactus (Opuntia spp.), prairie fameflower (Talinum
parviflorum), and spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis). In contrast
to the Nebraska sand hills at Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado
T. o. ornata habitat is waterless, making plants the likely hydration
source for turtles.
Since the State of Colorado presently allows the
private take of ornate turtles for personal use, the Colorado Box Turtle Project
established goals of analyzing the regional ecology of this species and
enhancing its protections. This study contributes to the knowledge of a
widespread and once-common species, never studied before in Colorado.
15) The Georgia Sea Turtle Center: Connecting Eastern
Box Turtle Rehabilitation, Population Health and Disease Monitoring, Education
and Research
Terry M. Norton1, Michelle Kaylor, Steven Nelsen, Amy Hupp, Rachael
Thomas, Kimberly Andrews
Georgia Sea Turtle
Center, Jekyll Island Authority,
Jekyll Island, GA
Over the last 5 years there have been tremendous
advances in our knowledge about health and infectious disease in chelonians
including T. carolina (Allender et al., 2011, Johnson et al., 2007, 2008,
Feldman et al., 2006, and Alverez et al., 2012). A Ranavirus, Frog Virus
3, is known to affect Terrapene populations. Other infectious agents
include a Mycoplasma sp. (distinct from other species but as yet unnamed)
associated with upper respiratory tract disease, an adenovirus (a member of a
novel genus) associated with enterohepatic disease, and a novel alphaherpesvirus
which has been found concurrently with ranaviral disease. The agent of
intranuclear coccidiosis, a significant chelonian pathogen, has recently been
identified in T. carolina.
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) is assessing
the health of resident box turtles on Jekyll Island and those brought to the
GSTC for rehabilitation. This assessment is guiding future rehabilitation and
management priorities in determining whether offspring of displaced and injured
individuals can be established in the wild and potentially contribute to the
viability of local populations. Additionally, rehabilitation and release
protocols are being established based on information generated from this
assessment.
Over a half a million people have had the
opportunity to learn about chelonians though the interactive educational
exhibits and programs at the GSTC since its opening over 5 years ago. Educators
present medical updates on patients, but more importantly discuss the population
effects of the various threats on turtle population survival and how the average
person can help. An exhibit dedicated to box turtle conservation has been
developed and is extremely popular with visitors.
Allender, M. C., Abd-eldaim, m., Schumacher, J.,
Mcruer, D., Christian, L.S., and Kennedy, M. 2011. PCR prevalence of
Ranavirus in free-ranging eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina
carolina) in rehabilitation centers in three southeastern US states. Journal
of Wildlife Diseases 47: 759–764.
Alvarez, W.A, Gibbons, P.M., Rivera, S., Archer,
L.L., Childress, A.L., and Wellehan, J.F.X. 2012. Development of a quantitative
PCR for rapid and sensitive diagnosis of intranuclear coccidiosis in tortoises,
and identification in the critically endangered Arakan forest turtle
(Heosemys depressa). Proceedings, 2012 Conference of the Association of
Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians.
Feldman, S. H., Wimsatt, J., Marchang, R.E.,
Johnson, A.J., Brown, W., Mitchell, J.C., and Sleeman, J.M. 2006. A novel
mycoplasma detected in association with upper respiratory disease syndrome in
free-ranging eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) in
Virginia. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 42: 279–289.
Johnson, A.J., Origgi, F.C., and Wellehan, J.F.X.
2007. Molecular diagnostics. In Infectious diseases and pathology of reptiles,
E. R. Jacobson (ed.). CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, pp. 351–380.
Johnson, A.J., pessier, a.p., wellehan,j.f.x.,
childress,a., norton, t.m., stedman,n.l., bloom, d.c., belzer,w., titus, v.r.,
wagner, r., brooks, j.w., spratt,j., and jacobson, e.r. 2008. Ranavirus
infection of free-ranging and captive box turtles and tortoises in the United
States. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 44: 851–863.
16) Establishment of a Reference Interval for
Fibrinogen in Ornate Box Turtles (Terrepene ornata ornata)
Lily Parkinson
Colorado State University College of Veterinary
Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Fort Collins, CO
The ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata
ornata) is currently listed as “near threatened” by the International Union
for Conservation of Nature. This status necessitates further study to fully
understand this species’ ecology. In order to gain the fullest understanding of
how to best to protect these turtle populations, researchers would be greatly
aided by a method for determining the levels of inflammation in different turtle
populations. This information could provide vital clues to what environmental
variables most negatively affect the lives of ornate box turtles. One potential
test for determining the presence of inflammatory disease in box turtles could
be blood fibrinogen concentration. Blood fibrinogen levels have been shown to
correlate with inflammation in several species, and could serve as a reliable
indicator for inflammation in box turtles as well. Before such studies can
occur, however, a normal reference interval for fibrinogen in ornate box turtles
must be established. This study aims to produce a normal reference interval in
box turtles through the sampling of at least 40 ornate box turtles. Currently,
24 box turtles have been enrolled in the study, and the preliminary data
provides two possible interpretations. One interpretation could indicate that
ornate box turtles have a relatively narrow range of fibrinogen levels, and that
the few outliers observed so far were due to stress that was missed in the
study’s health screening. An alternative interpretation of the data could
indicate that all screened healthy box turtles provided a normal fibrinogen
level for the study, but the data is not yet sufficient to confirm that the
fibrinogen levels at the high end of the normal range are not outliers. The
continuation of this study aims to elucidate which interpretation is most
correct. The researchers also hope to provide a basis for future studies into
fibrinogen as an indicator for inflammation in ornate box turtles as well as
other turtle species.
17) Under Fire: Responses of Eastern Box Turtles
to Prescribed Burns
John H. Roe
University of North Carolina at Pembroke,
Pembroke, NC
Prescribed fire is an essential tool for the
conservation and management of longleaf ecosystems, and it is thus widely
employed in protected areas of the Southeastern United States. However, such
management may unintentionally overlook impacts to other non-target species that
are also of conservation concern, presenting land managers with conflicts. Using
radiotelemetry, temperature dataloggers, and capture-mark-recapture, we are
currently studying the vital rates and seasonal behavioral responses of Eastern
Box Turtles, Terrapene carolina, to prescribed fire in the North Carolina
Sandhills. This study is being conducted in the Weymouth Woods Natural Area
(WEWO), a primarily xeric habitat where burns have been used to manage longleaf
forests for three decades, and in the nearby Lumber River State Park (LRSP), a
bottomland habitat where prescribed burns are not employed. We expect that
turtles inhabiting areas with frequent burns (WEWO) would largely avoid areas
and habitat types subject to fire, and if not, they would suffer increased
mortality, injury incidence, and other reduced vital rates relative to those
where fire is not employed (LRSP). Turtle activity centers at both sites have
been in more mesic microhabitats, and indeed the majority of locations have been
in close proximity to watercourses or in hardwood forests outside of the burn
management units. However, turtles at WEWO have used upland longleaf forests of
all post-fire intervals, including one that was severely burned, with several
entering burned habitats within weeks after fire where we observed foraging,
thermoregulatory, and reproductive behaviors. Two turtles at WEWO are suspected
to have died or been severely injured by predators, while no turtles have been
lost from the LRSP. Turtles at both sites have moved extensively, exhibited
similar seasonal activity, and maintained positive growth rates. While only
preliminary, our findings yield insight into the behavioral and population
responses of turtles to fire, thus informing burn managers of the risks to
non-target animals that are also of management priority.
18) Response of the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene
carolina carolina) to Silviculture Treatments in the Valley and Ridge
Province of East Tennessee
John Rucker1, Leah Lavoie1, Kristie Fox1, Matthew Allender2, John Byrd1,3, and the CRESO Research Team1
1Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization
(CRESO), Clinton, TN
2Department of Comparative Biosciences, University
of Illinois, Urbana, IL
The potential impacts of different forestry
management options on the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina
carolina) are uncertain. A regeneration timber harvest at the University of
Tennessee Forestry Resources Research Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee provided an
opportunity to study effects of this practice on a box turtle population. Steep
terrain combined with impenetrable vegetation (mainly downed tree tops) made
traditional search techniques more problematic than normal for estimating turtle
density. From 2006-2012, trained Boykin Spaniels were employed to find box
turtles in an oak-hickory hardwood forest subject to different silviculture
objectives. From 2006-2007 we captured 78 individual box turtles in an11ha
pre-harvest site and 230 individual turtles in a 64 ha area adjacent to the
harvest site. Thirty three of the 78 individuals (42%) were recaptured post-
harvest (2008-2012), and 126 turtles (55%) were recaptured from the 64 ha. In
both cases the majority of turtles (32% vs. 30%) were recaptured during 2008,
the year after the timber harvest. Although there was no pre-harvest capture
data for a 13 ha forest stand subject to partial harvesting techniques in
2004-05, a high density of turtles was found there during the seven year
study.
19) Population Characteristics and Habitat Use of
Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata) within Restored and Remnant
Tallgrass Prairies
Kimberly E. Schmidt1 and Eric C. Hellgren
Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory,
Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale,
IL
The ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata) is
an integral component of tallgrass prairie ecosystems. This turtle species has
been understudied in Illinois, where it is classified as state-threatened. Our
objectives were to assess microhabitat selection and characterize demography of
T. ornata at two sites in northwestern Illinois. We also describe
critical habitat used by transmitted individuals for overwintering, aestivation,
and nesting. From June 2011 to October 2012, we captured 111 individuals (34F,
46M, and 31U) via foot surveys, opportunistic encounters, road cruising, and the
use of detector dogs. Capture data between sites suggests variation in sex
ratios between our 2 study populations. One population was composed of
approximately equal numbers of males and female turtles (17F, 16M, X2=0.03, p=0.862), and the other population contained
nearly twice as many male turtles (17F, 30M, X2=3.596, p=0.058). We affixed radiotransmitters to 34
adults (14F, 20M) for monitoring in 2012, and collected microhabitat data at
approximately 1000 paired turtle and random sites. These data are currently
being analyzed to determine key microsite characteristics associated with
habitat selection by T. ornata. Eight turtles were tracked to their
overwintering locations in 2011 (3F, 5M), and 28 animals (13F, 15M) were
followed to overwintering locations in 2012. Overwintering locations of 5
animals (2F, 3M) could be compared across both years. Three turtles (2F, 1M)
displayed site fidelity (2-4 m from the previous overwintering location). Of the
34 transmittered turtles, there is only one suspected depredation event (1F).
Five additional transmitters were lost by becoming detached from the turtles’
shells during brummation (2M) and transmitter malfunction (3M). Turtles are
using remnant prairie for nesting and overwintering habitat. Early spring
phenology and prolonged drought in 2012 may have encouraged early emergence,
hindered turtle movements, and encouraged early aestivation. Nesting was
observed in late May 2012 on a sand road on the preserve. Depredated carcasses
and road-kill mortalities occurred during the late summer and fall months when
turtles were active. Conservation managers may use these data to maintain and
restore suitable habitat for ornate box turtles across their Midwestern
range.
20) A Dollar a Turtle or How Your State Can Gather
Long-term, Widespread Data on a Budget
Ann Berry Somers1,4, Gabrielle Graeter2, John D. Groves3
1Biology Department, UNC Greensboro, Greensboro,
NC
2North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission,
Asheville, NC
3Animal Section, North Carolina Zoological Park,
Asheboro, NC
The Box Turtle Collaborative (Collaborative) is a
think tank for conservation and education centered on box turtles. The group
consists of educators and biologists representing four North Carolina
institutions of higher education and five state agencies. The Box Turtle
Connection project (BTC) is an initiative launched by the Collaborative in 2008
to educate and engage citizens in box turtle science. The project offers
opportunities for participants to become involved either by casually reporting
observations to the Carolina Herp Atlas or by making a long term commitment as
volunteer Project Leaders. Project Leaders are required to attend training
sessions, mark turtles at their designated site using a standardized protocol,
and annually enter data into a state-maintained, password-protected database.
Currently there are ~ 2200 data entries with 1700 unique turtles from 30 sites,
many of them state parks. Over 8,000 BTC volunteer hours were submitted by NC
Wildlife Resources Commission as match for State Wildlife Grants last year. The
cash outlay on the project has been minimal and the interest in the project
continues to increase. Although still in the fledgling stage, the BTC can be a
model for other states interested in a low-cost, recession-proof means of
gathering widespread, scientifically accurate data on a presumably declining
species. Analysis of turtle data begins in 2013.
21)Reintroduction Program Reveals Homing Behavior
and a Previously Unknown Nesting Strategy in Terrapene
ornata
Charles R. Tucker1,4,, Jeramie T. Strickland2, and Day B. Ligon3
1Department of Biology, Missouri State University,
Springfield, MO
2US Fish and Wildlife Service, Thomson,
IL
3Department of Biology, Missouri State University,
Springfield, MO
A long term research and conservation program was
initiated in 2008 at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish
Refuge in northwestern Illinois. Because ornate box turtles (Terrapene
ornata) are threatened in Illinois, our initial goals were to determine the
species’ population status on seven local prairies and to assess the feasibility
of a reintroduction program. Searches using trained dogs confirmed box turtle
presence at six of seven prairies, one of which was not previously known to
support box turtles. A reintroduction program was initiated in which eggs were
collected from a donor population and head-started for one year before release
at a former military depot from which box turtles had been extirpated. Each
year, half of the head-started turtles were released inside an enclosure at the
former military depot and half were released at the donor site. When nests were
located, eggs from some nests were collected for the head-start program and
temperature data loggers were placed into other nests that were allowed to
incubate naturally. During nest searches, some nesting females were found to be
completely underground during nesting. This behavior may allow females to
oviposit deeper in the substrate, thus influencing the incubation environment.
This may be important for a species that exhibits temperature-dependent sex
determination. Females found to have nested underground had deeper nests, but
average temperatures did not significantly differ from other nests. However,
temperature profiles in deeper nests fluctuated less and had lower maximum
temperatures, factors which also influence survivorship and gonadal development.
Finally, some Terrapene species exhibit homing behavior, which has
apparently affected spatial use of the release-site enclosure. Some translocated
individuals were frequently observed at the enclosure’s edge, presumably the
result of homing behavior and attempts to return to former home ranges.
Monitoring revealed that translocated turtles tended to be closer to the
enclosure edge than resident or head-started turtles. However, the average
distance to the fence increased in successive years among translocated turtles
but remained the same for resident and head-started turtles, indicating that
homing declined over time.
22) The Impacts of Intraspecific Variation on
Phylogenetic Resolution in Terrapene
Natasha S. Vitek and Robert W. Burroughs1
Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of
Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Levels of variation in one population that exceed
interspecific levels known to be expressed between sister species can make
specimen identification within a clade problematic. Box turtles of the extant
genus Terrapene exemplify this problem. Historically, the clade has been
divided into four extant species and ten extant subspecies based on distinct
morphological characteristics. It has been noted that intraspecific variation
exists within both species and subspecies, but that variation remains poorly
characterized. The situation presents a circular problem; characterizing
variation across the temporal and geographic range of the clade remains
intractable until lineages can be separated and studied individually, but
lineages remain unidentifiable, especially in the fossil record, due to a lack
of understanding of variation. In systematics, this problem can translate into
poor understanding of apomorphies and a lack of resolution in phylogenetic
analyses. To attempt to further understand the evolutionary history of
Terrapene, we chose to evaluate variation in recent specimens and
Pleistocene age fossils in a phylogenetic context. Our goal was to further
understand how variation can impact phylogenetic analyses overall and attempt to
separate lineages present in both the modern record and fossil record for
further study. We used specimen-level phylogenetic analyses to explore whether
variation between specimen-level terminals still allowed for species-level
resolution. We scored multiple specimens of extant species of Terrapene
as well as multiple fossils from several localities. We hypothesized that
specimens would cluster in polytomic assemblages by species, if variation had a
minimal effect on resolution. However, in our analysis not all specimens
clustered together into species assemblages. Examination of character
distribution indicated that coding specimen-level, as opposed to species-level,
terminals caused signal from intraspecific variation to overwhelm potential
apomorphies that were traditionally used to separate species. We then collapsed
recent specimens into species-level terminals and fossil specimens into
locality-level terminals. That approach resulted in traditionally recognized
clades. In this case, we find that currently recognized apomorphies for species
of Terrapene are insufficient for specimen-level identification against
the backdrop of the broad intraspecific variation that is found in the
genus. In this context, reliable, apomorphy-based identification of isolated
specimens of Terrapene in the fossil record is currently impossible.
Adding extinct ‘species’ known from only single specimens to an analysis
presents a comparable situation. Further, some currently recognized species and
subspecies are not immune to this problem. We found that the hypothesized
morphological distinctions between different species, such as shell shape and
co-ossification of bones in the shell were not reliable indicators of species at
different points in time, once variation was accounted for. Our results indicate
a broader need for continued work on phylogeny of Terrapene.
23) Husbandry Techniques Used during a
Ranavirus Outbreak in Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina
carolina) at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
Allison N. Wack1 , Richard Sim2, Kevin J. Murphy3, Kevin Barrett4,5, and Ellen Bronson1
1Medical Department, The Maryland Zoo in
Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
2Wildlife Center of Virginia, Waynesboro,
VA
3Animal Department, The Philadelphia Zoo,
Philadelphia, PA
4Animal Department, The Maryland Zoo in
Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
During the summer of 2011 The Maryland Zoo in
Baltimore experienced a Ranavirus outbreak in its population of 27
Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina). In response to the
outbreak the Animal Department, working with the zoo’s Medical Department,
developed protocols in order to treat the turtles and to prevent the disease
from spreading to other species in the collection. These protocols included
quarantine guidelines, modified environmental parameters, intensive supportive
care including nutritional support, and extensive multimodal medical treatment
in conjunction with the veterinary staff. As a result 14 of 27 turtles survived
the outbreak and successfully overwintered outdoors, which far exceeds previous
survival numbers in this species.