Turtles

                         Turtles

by John Schwegman

     One of the sure signs of spring is a line of turtles sunning
on a log. After a cold winter spent buried at the bottom of a
stream or pond, these cold-blooded reptiles love to bask in the
warming rays of the first sunny days of spring.

     Turtles are the oldest living reptile group, having changed
little since first appearing in the fossil record more than 200
million years ago. Their long survival with little change is a
testament to the success of their shell as a protective structure
for a relatively slow-moving animal.

     In addition to their shell, their lack of teeth is also a
distinctive feature of turtles. They have a beak with sharp
cutting edges but no chewing teeth. The river cooter is an
exception to this general rule, having peg-like "teeth" inside of
its mouth.

     While everyone recognizes turtles as a group, few realize
the diversity of turtle species found in Illinois and even fewer
can identify our 16 native kinds.

     Our turtle fauna includes two softshell species, two
snapping turtles, two mud turtles, two box turtles, the peculiar
stinkpot and seven others that fall into the general category of
basking turtles.

     The baskers are flattened, aquatic hardshell turtles with
names like spotted turtle, Blanding's turtle, painted turtle,
slider, river cooter, map turtle and false map turtle.

     The two box turtles are dry land species while the others
spend most of their time in or near water.

     Our turtles range in size from the little stinkpot, that
rarely reaches a shell length of 4.5 inches, to the huge
alligator snapping turtle, weighing up to 160 pounds here and
reaching 220 pounds in the southern states.

     Illinois' turtles have some interesting behavior traits. The
alligator snapping turtle has a tongue that resembles a worm. It
sets with its mouth open and wiggles its tongue to lure fish into
range of its jaws.

     Our two mud turtles emerge from hibernation in the spring
and forage in shallow temporary ponds for a few months before
burying themselves in mud or sand for most of the summer.
Together with the time they spend in hibernation, they spend most
of their lives just setting buried in the ground.

     The stinkpot has a unique defense of musk glands in its skin
just below the shell which can emit a strong stinking odor when
it is threatened.

     The smooth softshell turtle is a flattened species of creeks
and rivers that buries itself in sand and gravel on the bottom
with only its head exposed. It can lie hidden like this for hours
as it waits for fish or other prey to come within catching range.
It breathes through its skin at these times so it does not have
to surface and expose its ambush.

     Human use of our turtles centers on keeping them as pets and
using them as food.

     The land-dwelling box turtles are the most commonly kept
pets. The eastern box is an animal of forests throughout the
south half of the state while the ornate box turtle is a prairie
animal. It is found in south-central and western Illinois and in
sand areas in northern Illinois.

     The most important turtle for food is the snapping turtle.
These large aquatic animals yield meat that makes good soup and
is also good fried.

     Four turtles are listed as endangered or threatened species
under the Illinois Endanger and Threatened Species Act and are
protected against taking. The endangered species are the spotted
turtle, Illinois mud turtle and river cooter. The alligator
snapping turtle is listed as threatened.

     Of the non-protected species, persons with a valid fishing
license may take eight turtles per day per species. These turtles
may be used for personal consumption or as pets, but may not be
sold or traded. Taking from the wild for the commercial pet
market was a threat until it became illegal.

     Dr. Ed Moll of Eastern Illinois University is one of
Illinois' leading turtle experts. He and his students are
presently studying the endangered river cooter along the lower
Wabash River.

     I asked Dr. Moll just where the name cooter comes from. He
advises that "all turtles are called cooters in the southeastern
states where the river cooter is most abundant."

     Using money from the Wildlife Preservation Fund, Moll and
his students have discovered new populations of the river cooter
and are studying the size and makeup of the populations.

     The Lee County Natural Area Guardians, an affiliate of the
Lee County Soil and Water Conservation District, has used
Wildlife Preservation Fund monies to support surveys for turtles
in its county. The groups search resulted in the discovery of two
new populations of the endangered Illinois mud turtle.

     This spring when you see turtles on a log or crossing the
road, keep in mind that they are an ancient group of animals
struggling to survive in a changing environment.

     One way you can help them is by donating to the Illinois
Wildlife Preservation Fund by checking line 15a on your form IL
1040 when you file your 1995 Illinois state income tax return.

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