Turtles move into residential areas

TIFTON — Leon Baldree was on his way to work one morning when he stepped out of his carport to find a turtle busily laying eggs in the path of his truck.

The turtle was one of several longtime residents of the pond behind Baldree’s house. Called a yellow-bellied pond slider (trachemys scripta scripta), Baldree’s temporary guest was one of the more commonly found turtles in South Georgia.

They are mid-sized turtles known for enjoying the slow-moving waters of Georgia lakes, creeks, ponds and marshes. This turtle, however, made the decision to lay its eggs in the driveway of someone’s house.

“I’d noticed her in the yard for several days searching for a place to lay eggs,” Baldree said. “Normally they lay them closer to the water.”

In fact, according to Baldree, this will be the first time in the 25 years he has lived near the pond and turtles that one has been brave enough to dig a nest (clutch) so near the house.

While the yellow-bellied pond slider’s population is not dwindling, it’s cousin, the bog turtle (clemmys muhlenbergii), is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The bog turtle is one of the smallest species of turtle. They are commonly found in the shallow, open wetlands of the longleaf pine ecosystem, which is America's most biologically diverse temperate forest ecosystem and is home to over 20 federally-listed endangered species.

Longleaf once covered around 74-92 million acres of the southern coastal plain from southern Virginia south to central Florida and west to eastern Texas. Today, it covers less than 3 million acres.

This means that a lot of the Bog Turtles who have lost a part of their habitat have now had to acclimate to more populated areas.

With species like the Bog Turtle and the Yellow-Bellied Pond Slider moving around residential areas and highways to lay their eggs, it is important for everyone to be aware of their existence and take measures not to disturb them.

Turtles may lay between one and three clutches of eggs a year. These clutches can have anywhere from four to 23 eggs each. They are often laid in sand, clay or loamy soil and look like tiny patches of disturbed earth.

If one of these turtles or their clutches is seen, try to avoid disturbing it. If, as in the case of Baldree’s turtle, it is obvious that the clutch cannot remain where it is, the best course of action is to contact the Department of Natural Resources for instructions on how to safely remove the eggs.

Other ways to help protect the turtle population are to become involved in local, state and federal government programs that protect water resources and native wildlife, or get active in organizations that promote planned, responsible commercial land development.

No ecosystem stands alone, it is important to remember the impact that we have on the wildlife around us.

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