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Lep.
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Not threatened or endangered yet=2C but a painted turtle was crossing the F=
isherman's Memorial Highway just outside of Hammond's Plains when I was com=
ing home last night. I missed it as did the car behind me=2C but as to its=
fate after that who knows. =20
=20
James R. Hirtle
Bridgewater=20
=20
From: dwebster@glinx.com
To: GILHENJA@gov.ns.ca=3B HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca=3B NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: [NatureNS] Wood Turtle: long
Date: Mon=2C 30 Jun 2014 19:13:41 -0300
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Hi John=2C Andrew & All=2C =0A=
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I noticed on a post to naturens recently that (from the =0A=
NS Museum of NH site)--=0A=
"It may seem harmless to keep a turtle as a pet for a while=2C but this is =
=0A=
not a good idea. Two of the province's four turtle species are already at r=
isk =0A=
in Nova Scotia. It is likely that removal of turtles by people is part of t=
he =0A=
reason=2C for Wood Turtles."=0A=
=0A=
I expect this supposition rests in part on your 1984 =0A=
statement (Amphibians and Reptiles of Nova Scotia p. 148) =0A=
that--=0A=
"Another problem facing the Wood Turtle is the removal of many individuals =
=0A=
from their habitat by people while on fishing trips or camping trips" which=
are =0A=
then subsequently "released in the woods many kilometers from its natural =
=0A=
habitat."=0A=
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Perhaps you can provide some details of the observations =0A=
on which your above statement was based. =0A=
=0A=
To get a third viewpoint for comparison I went =0A=
to Wood Turtle on Wikipedia and with some personal satisfaction note that m=
uch =0A=
of their text=2C re Wood Turtles range wide=2C might have been written by m=
e re =0A=
turtles and amphibians in NS=3B e.g. emphasis on habitat loss=2C traffic =
=0A=
fatalities=2C a plug for culvert underpasses and the observation that an =
=0A=
overabundant Raccoon threatens WTs at all life stages. They quite rightly l=
ist =0A=
commercial collections made for the international pet trade as a genuine th=
reat. =0A=
They note without commentary that "Brochures =0A=
and other media that warn people to avoid keeping the wood turtle as a pet =
are =0A=
currently being distributed."=3B a variant of damming by faint =0A=
praise.=0A=
=0A=
With respect to culvert underpasses I paste the following--=0A=
START =0A=
OF PASTE\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\=0A=
Hi =0A=
Lisa & =0A=
All=2C July 31=2C =0A=
2008
I dare say you are already moving in this direction=2C =0A=
but a small=20
animal underpass=2C suitably located (e.g. where you were =0A=
escorting=20
toadlets in this instance) would be less labour-intensive and =0A=
consequently more practicable in the long run.
Why =0A=
Conservation organizations have not lobbied for and made public=20
noises about =0A=
small animal crossings beats me. Perhaps I have not been=20
paying attention =0A=
but I have noticed that some have been installed in the=20
UK. Even modest =0A=
highways with light traffic can be effective barriers to=20
movement of =0A=
Reptiles and Amphibians=2C either by preventing access to the=20
roadway or by =0A=
killing some that do make it.
Based on road kills =0A=
observed while walking=2C I think snakes must sun=20
on gravel roads where they =0A=
blend in nicely before and after being=20
flattened. And a 20-cm high ridge of =0A=
gravel=2C thrown up by a road grader=2C=20
can stop a 30-cm snake from crossing. =0A=
And a highway sand cut=2C at angle=20
of repose after about 25 years=2C acts as a =0A=
solid wall to a toad (in dry=20
weather=3B wet might be different).
Yours =0A=
truly=2C Dave Webster=2C Kentville
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=0A=
END =0A=
OF PASTE\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\=0A=
And =0A=
just one more example--=0A=
START =0A=
OF PASTE\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\=0A=
Hi =0A=
Flora & All=2C Apr 3=2C =0A=
2006
Traffic on our highways is unfortunately a very =0A=
effective way to kill small animals=3B invertebrate & vertebrate. I dug out=
=0A=
two responses to this spring rush (pasted below) and am struck by the agree=
ment =0A=
in timing. As noted in my post of Sept 17=2C 2005=2C underpasses can be ver=
y =0A=
effective at least for snakes.
Thanks for the opportunity =0A=
to flog a pet idea.
DW
Flora Cordis Johnson wrote:
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Last night's rain=2C though undoubtedly =0A=
needed=2C brought the first amphibian roadkills of spring to my neck of t=
he =0A=
woods=2C and a lot of them. In a 3/4 mile stretch of road that runs throu=
gh a =0A=
wetland east of my house on Cloverdale Road=2C near Middle Stewiacke=2C I=
counted =0A=
three dead spring peepers=2C ranging in size from about a half inch to ab=
out an =0A=
inch in length=2C and a large (about 2 inch) dark-charcoal coloured salam=
ander =0A=
with faint blue markings on its sides. In addition there were several =0A=
unidentifiable splats -- which=2C judging from size and weather=2C were m=
ost =0A=
likely ex-frogs. I brought the salamander home in a dead leaf and photogr=
aphed =0A=
it.=0A=
A sad Wild Flora in Birch =0A=
Hill=0A=
=0A=
START OF PASTES\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Hi Anne & =0A=
All=2C =0A=
Mar 31=2C 2002
I recall hearing some years ago that toad (or =0A=
frog ?) underpasses had
been installed on some British highways=2C really =0A=
culverts at ditch level=2C
and had substantially reduced road =0A=
kills.
I wonder if these salamanders would preferentially =0A=
use a culvert if it
were available and how large it would need to be =0A=
?
Dave Webster=2C =0A=
Kentville
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Hi James & =0A=
All=2C Mar 31=2C =0A=
2005
A lot of amphibians and reptiles don't get to the =0A=
other side when=20
they attempt to cross a road.
I =0A=
continue to wonder why Naturalist organizations don't pressure=20
more for safe =0A=
R&A underpass crossings. Is this a design problem or a=20
motivation =0A=
problem ?
Yours truly=2C Dave Webster=2C Kentville
END OF PASTES=3B =0A=
really \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\=0A=
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=0A=
I don't like putting you and Andrew on the spot but =0A=
remember "Iron sharpeneth iron"=2C Prov. 27:17=2C I don't think the number=
s =0A=
add up and in my view=2C backed by Wikipedia as it happens (noted above)=2C=
there =0A=
are greater environmental problems that collectively shrink the odd turtle =
=0A=
picked up on a fishing or camping trip to a value that is indistinguishable=
from =0A=
zero. =0A=
=0A=
According to Wikipedia=2C Wood Turtles live to 40 years in =0A=
the wild (58 in captivity)=2C become sexually mature at ages 14-18 and lay =
3-20 =0A=
eggs per year. For simple mental arithmetic one can round this to 20 egg-la=
ying =0A=
years and 10 eggs per year for a total of 200 eggs per female. So attrition=
must =0A=
be severe to maintain a stable population and the range in egg =0A=
production implies a control mechanism to a