Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can someone enlighten me as to why I see more males spotted and wood turtles and not many females. Yesterday I saw a couple dozen males and 4 females. The same sort of ratio exists when I see wood turtles. Do poachers leave the males behind and keep the females? Or is this just because of higher activity levels with males early in spring vs. females. Here are some pics from yesterday.



I wished this guy good luck and hope no grimy I need 120 bucks poacher lays a hand on him.

not sure if this works were you are but road mortality. more females are hit by cars, picked up etc, crossing the road to lay eggs. males do not cross as much and are therfore more numerous at least here. ex I caught 23 midland painted turtles (chrysemys picta marginata) and 5 females last year in a pond that goes on both sides of the roads. I alos heard about a report done on the same thing
wayne

I have seen the same ratio, as I have observed spotteds in South Carolina. Maybe males are more active at this time, accoding to ERNST they have to find the females for mating. Maybe there are more males hatching for some reasons.

Yeah I thought about and realized all males come out of hibernation earlier to pursue females. But females crossing the road makes sense also. Fortunately this area has a bay on one side and on the other not a road for a couple miles. Thanks guys.

What a great fortune for the spotteds, not to have cross a road. I hope that there are no collectors who are exploiting their habitat.
What state you are living in?

Taking into account the value for a Spotted...male or female...I find it hard to believe that a collector would leave a male behind. Maybe a very small scale breeder?

The time of year plays a role. Keep us updated...let us know if you start to see more females as the weather warms. I tend to see that when I herp SC. I don't think I've ever found a male past May, but you'll see a female or two out every now and again later in the year.

Ken, I think I was just overreacting and females were simply hiding from the males. I have witnessed the opposite actually and have seen males out into september. Very cool gulf coast box turtle post btw.

i don't think collecters leave any spotteds....as long as private collectors and dealers provide a market....folks will collect and distribute....the gender inbalance might be d ue to males wakin' up first....like those garters in canada

I think your first hunch about poachers is accurate if they intend the turtles to be used for enhancing a breedng group. Several females can be bred by the same male. When you look at the ratios in the pet trade, sellers always try to enhance the offer with 1.2 trio or even pairs (especially with L. yuwonoi). Secondly, the argument that more females face road fatality is abosulutely accurate with spotteds, woodies, Blandings, Boxies, and Common Maps(especially apparent here as the females are the only ones to tred far from water). If a population is frequently poached or pressured by road kills, the loss of just a couple of animals can easily cause the population to collapse especially if the losses are among the females. In MI spotties are threatened species. In many other areas, demand from the pet trade has driven their numbers to level where protection is an absolute must. Better breeding projects and more responsible care and collection of these turtles is necessary if they are to coninue to be a species that is available to the hobby and abundant in the wild. With he low reproductive rate of any the above species--commercial breeding projects are not really viable without wiping out entire populations; hence the ever increasing regs on these turtles.

Best to buy from a reputable dealer who you know does not sell or continue to collect wild caught animals (except maybe in the case of Asian species because the illegal food trade is their biggest drain and insures a 0% survival rate. At least in the pet trade some animals will surivive--it is the lesser of evils and in the current climate it is becoming a necessary evil to insure some species continued existence but be careful that you are getting these from reputable importers as well because you do not waant to mess with USFWS).