[obol] (off topic) turtles

[Kyle Spinks]

Hi Darrel,
...and thanks Elaine!

>From the description and behavior, my guess is that the turtle you saw
was a slider.  Red-eared sliders are one of the many species listed by
Elaine that are illegally dumped in local wetlands.  The native turtles
I've worked with in the area bask out of water, as you described, but
the snapper do not bask in this way.  Also, red-eared sliders can get to
a foot or more long, but our natives usually max out at about 8 inches,
usually a bit smaller.

I must note that I really don't believe the people dropping off the
turtles have anything but the best intentions.  They've probably had
their turtles for a while and, for various reasons, need to get rid of
the pet (moving to a new house, the kids have grown up...you get the
picture).  So they take it to the local pond and release it, thinking
that it's back in a friendly environment.  And, arguably, the turtles
are often in good habitats for them.  The problem is that there are
often no natural 'limiters' on their population growth, so they can
become a problem for other, native species.

Case in point: I've now removed 27 common snapping turtles from Koll
Center Wetlands pond (Creekside for the birders that visit the site)
over a two-year period.  And in 6 years of working for the park district
and visiting the pond regularly, I've never seen a native turtle in the
area, despite the fact that the area is prime habitat for our native
turtles and Fanno Creek, a stream known to be inhabited by native
turtles, is less than 1/4 mile away.  I have found several snapper nests
and nesting females, so breeding is going on.

my 2 cents...
Kyle Spinks

Natural Resources Technician
Tualatin Hills Park & Rec. Dist.
5500 SW Arctic Drive, E. Annex, Ste 2
Beaverton, Oregon 97005
503 629-6305 x2952
Fax: 503-629-6307 Cell: 503-780-7631