What:
Spring may be behind us, but pipping and hatching are still happening
at Woodland Park Zoo where approximately 95 rare western pond turtles
have hatched. The hatchlings, about the size of a quarter, were
from nests collected from wild refuge sites in Pierce County and
the Columbia River Gorge. More eggs remain at the zoo in incubation.
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Photos: Western pond turtle hatchling at Woodland
Park Zoo
Photo credit: Ryan Hawk |
As
part of the Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project, Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) round up and deliver hatchlings,
or nests,
each season to Woodland Park and Oregon Zoos to improve the turtles’ chance
of survival in the wild. The zoos head start and nurture the newly
hatched turtles for about 10 months when they are large enough to
escape the large mouths of bullfrogs. The hatchlings are housed off
exhibit
where they reside throughout the winter where they can grow in safety.
They will be released back into the wild next summer.
The
Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project is a long-term collaborative effort
among Woodland
Park Zoo, Oregon Zoo, and Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife to prevent the species’ extinction.
When:
Thursday, October 30, 10:00 a.m.
Where:
Behind the scenes at Woodland Park Zoo. Meet at the ARC near the West Entrance
at N. 55th St. & Phinney Ave. N. The ARC is a locked building; PR staff
will escort you. If late, call 206.300.0190 or 347.743.8669 or enter through
the West Entrance.
Visuals:
Behind the scenes: quarter-size western pond turtle hatchlings.
Info:
Western pond turtles were once common from Baja, Calif. to Puget Sound, including
the Columbia River Gorge. However, loss of habitat, disease and predation
by non-native species such as bullfrogs decimated their numbers. They were
on the verge of extinction in Washington in 1990, with only about 150 turtles
left in the wild. The state listed the species as endangered in 1993.
Habitat degradation and disease still are problems, but the biggest threat to
fragile baby turtles is the bullfrog. The non-native bullfrog, native to areas
east of the Rockies, has thrived throughout the West, driving pond turtles and
a host of other small, vulnerable aquatic species to the brink of extinction.
To help restore these rare pond turtles to their natural habitat, recovery workers
take to the field each year. Transmitters are attached on adult female western
pond turtles and the turtles are monitored every two hours during the nesting
season to determine their nesting sites. The nests are protected with wire “exclosure” cages
to help prevent predators from eating the eggs. In the fall, the eggs or newly
hatched turtles are collected and taken to the zoo facilities. Unlike wild turtles,
zoo turtles are fed throughout the winter, so by their summer release, the 10
month olds are approximately as big as 3-year-old turtles that grew up in the
wild.
The goal of the recovery project is for enough young turtles to survive in the
wild without head starting, but as long as the non-native bullfrog poses a threat,
the head starting programs at the zoos are critical to establishing new populations.
The Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project is one of Woodland Park Zoo’s
Partners for Wildlife conservation initiatives, an expansion of the zoo’s
efforts and resources in proven field conservation projects. The zoo currently
partners with 38 field conservation projects in 50 countries around the world.
For more information about Woodland Park Zoo’s conservation efforts, visit
www.zoo.org.
Accredited
by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), award-winning Woodland
Park Zoo is famed for pioneering naturalistic exhibits and setting
international standards for zoos all over the world. Conservation,
education and excellent animal care are at the core of the zoo’s
mission. The zoo is helping to save animals and their habitats in Washington
state and around the world including tree kangaroos, snow leopards,
red-crowned cranes, African wild dogs, western pond turtles and Oregon
silverspot butterflies. By inspiring people to care and act, Woodland
Park Zoo is making a difference in our planet’s future.
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