INDIANAPOLIS STAR (Indiana) 23 October 04 State: Eastern box turtles are born to be wild - In their natural habitat, the reptiles are more likely to find mates, officials hope. (Dan McFeely)
He spots her high-domed shell from across the woods. Their eyes meet and, like magic, love is in the air.
They start toward each other -- and these are turtles, so it will take awhile -- with just one thing in mind.
Like cupid without arrows, a new state regulation taking effect today could help this budding romance come to fruition.
The regulation -- aimed at stemming the reptile's decline in Indiana -- makes it illegal to remove an eastern box turtle from its natural habitat without a state-issued license.
"If things keep going the way they are, there is a possibility these turtles may become endangered," said Zack Walker, Indiana's official herpetologist -- a scientist who studies reptiles and amphibians.
Previously, those with hunting and fishing licenses were permitted to have up to four. That hadn't stopped others from swiping hundreds, possibly thousands, out of naturally wooded areas -- transplanting them to suburban back yards or aquariums, where they live a life of celibacy.
Then, after their welcome has worn out, they are set free. And thanks to a tremendous homing instinct, they try to make it back to their original home -- often meeting an untimely death under the wheels of a car.
The key is sex.
Unlike their reptilian cousins, these turtles must make eye contact before approaching one another for mating. The more they are separated, the less likely they will join to make baby turtles.
"You have to have the males come in contact with the females," said Walker. "It's getting harder for these chance encounters to occur."
The Department of Natural Resources approved the new rule in July, and it was endorsed by the governor's and attorney general's offices. This follows action taken by other states that have tightened laws pertaining to the turtles.
Walker could not estimate the number of box turtles in Indiana, but he cited a Wabash College study a few years ago that indicated the population is declining in some areas of the state. Walker fears that decline will spread throughout Indiana without preventive measures.
Marty La Prees, who runs the nonprofit Indiana Turtle Care center in New Palestine, is happy efforts are being made to preserve the turtles. But she said turtle enthusiasts have called her to express concern about the new rules.
"Some people feel like their rights are being taken away," said La Prees, who is known as the "turtle lady" in central Indiana. "And these are mostly turtle people . . . people who really care about the box turtles and want to do the right thing."
La Prees has about 80 turtles at her home-based reptile sanctuary. About 20 to 25 are box turtles, and she uses them primarily for educational trips she makes to local schools.
"Turtles are not good pets," she said, "but these are typically very shy, and they can be personable."
They also can be put in danger, due in part to the development and expansion of roads through wooded areas.
Matthew J. Aresco, a scientist at Florida State University, has dedicated himself to saving turtles, which were being crushed along U.S. 27, which bisects Lake Jackson north of Tallahassee, Fla. In the past four years, state officials have scraped up more than 1,600 dead reptiles, many of them eastern box turtles. He has posted photos of grisly images on his Web site: www.lakejacksonturtles.org.
Aresco, who built temporary silt fences along the roadway to steer turtles to an underground culvert, said he has saved thousands.
"New roads and increases in traffic on older roads create impassable barriers to normal movements," Aresco said in an e-mail interview Friday.
He said the turtles often cross the roads to search for mates, forage for food or make a seasonal migration.
Walker, whose office is in Bloomington, has no idea how many of the Indiana-based box turtles have been crushed on the roadway, but "I see more dead box turtles than I do other types," he said.
The new permit is free and will be granted to those who can show they have the ability to keep the turtles safe. But owners will have to pay to have each turtle injected with a microchip, a cost La Prees said is about $35. They also will have to register the turtle, which can cost another $15.
Conservation officers, upon inspecting a private home, will scan turtles for evidence of this microchip.
Walker said the goal is not to take away rights, but to protect the turtles.
"I don't think it's too late to do something," he said. "What is really important is that the adults survive. You have to have adults so they can reproduce enough to replace themselves."
http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/188694-4536-103.html
INDIANAPOLIS STAR (Indiana) 22 October 04 Freeze! Back away from the turtle
(AP): A new law that takes effect Saturday bans people from collecting eastern box turtles from the wild in Indiana.
The turtle is close to becoming endangered in the state, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said in a news release on the new law.
"Prohibiting the taking of the eastern box turtle in Indiana is one of the best ways that we can help protect this species," said State Herpetologist Zack Walker.
Studies show the male eastern box turtle must see or hear a female before the mating process can begin. Low numbers of turtles may prevent contact between males and females, Walker said.
The eastern box turtle has a domed shell with yellow to orange streaks or splotches on a dark background.
Residents who currently have an eastern box turtle must apply for a permit that is available from the DNR at no cost.
http://www.indystar.com/articles/8/188418-3178-093.html
