Turtle recovery efforts slow and steady
A bevy of baby Blanding's made the slow plunge into their new home on a coastal plain of Lake Michigan this past week as part of a continuing effort to restore the population of the seemingly smiling turtle.
The biannual class of 88 Blanding's turtle hatchlings with names like Cupcake, Juicebox Jr., and Hope were released into their natural habitat as part of the Lake County Forest Preserve District's recovery program.
The district has led an effort to repopulate the species, which was designated as endangered in Illinois in 2009 because of habitat loss, increased pressure from predators, propensity to be killed on roads and illegal poaching.
“They don't really realize they're free for a couple of seconds. Then it's a race to the water,” explained Allison Frederick, assistant public affairs manager for the forest preserves.
No money was wagered on who would be first among a given batch, she joked. But it is the continued addition to the largest confirmed Blanding's population in Illinois and probably the Midwest that is the winning ticket for biologists.
“Part of our 100-year vision, not only for the forest preserves but Lake County, is to see no more species lost,” Frederick said.
How these turtles fare also provides biologists with lessons on what might work to help other species survive, thrive and contribute to a healthy natural environment.
“Turtles in general are an important animal to have in the ecosystem,” she said. “They're really a keystone species.”
Beginning in 2004, the forest preserve district with the Illinois Natural History Survey, equipped Blanding's turtles with radio transmitters as part of a large-scale study.
Because of low survival rates, researchers determined, not enough turtles were being produced each year to replace adults and the species was in decline.
In 2010, the forest preserve began collecting and incubating eggs and raising turtles in a care facility in a process called headstarting. Once the hatchlings reach 40 grams they are released each spring and fall in their natural habitat. To date, nearly 900 turtles have been released.
To raise funds for the effort and increase education, the Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves in 2016 started the Adopt-a-Turtle program. The ongoing effort exceeded a $15,000 goal each of the first two years.
“People are slowing down more (to avoid turtles in the road) and more people are understanding the significance of this population and why it's important,” Gary Glowacki, wildlife biologist recently told forest preserve commissioners.
Blanding's turtles, which can live to be 80 years in the wild, have a bright yellow chin and throat which makes them appear as if they are smiling. That attraction is why the exact location of the releases is kept secret.
“They're very curious, they're very docile,” said Frederick.
“People think they'll be a good pet, but they're not. They live a long time and they stink.”