Turtle Archives - The Orianne Society

6 minute read

Faces of the Forest

A Year in the Life of a Wood Turtle

ByKiley Briggs
December 13, 2024

Explore the fascinating year-long journey of the Wood Turtle, from winter hibernation to summer foraging, and discover how their seasonal behaviors influence conservation efforts. Learn how understanding their movement patterns can guide land management practices to protect this threatened species.

Coastal marsh just outside the tree line containing wetlands more appropriate for Spotted Turtle trapping.

5 minute read

Herp Journal

Sunshine State Site Scouting

ByAndrea Colton
December 13, 2024

Views:105 views Coastal marsh just outside the tree line containing wetlands more appropriate for Spotted Turtle trapping. Monday…

Saving Wood Turtles on working lands involves working with farmers towards their conservation. Shown here, Wood Turtle with injury from haying equipment.

5 minute read

Faces of the Forest

An Approach to Saving Wood Turtles on Working Lands

ByKiley Briggs
November 14, 2024

Views:126 views Common Injuries Among Wood Turtles When I first came across a Wood Turtle nicknamed “Chippy”, she…

Found on a search for Wood Turtle focus area.

5 minute read

Faces of the Forest

Searching for a Wood Turtle Focus Area in the Hudson-Berkshire Region

ByKiley Briggs
October 16, 2024

Views:143 views When we started surveys for Wood Turtles in southeastern New York last year, I wasn’t sure…

An especially colorful Spotted Turtle caught during surveys in Florida. Photo credit: Jonathan Mays

6 minute read

Science of Scales

New Published Research: Spotted Turtles, Ghosts of the Swamp

ByHouston Chandler
October 10, 2024

Views:357 views An especially colorful Spotted Turtle caught during surveys in Florida. – Jonathan Mays Few Spotted Turtle…

Faces of the Forest

How Do Severe Floods Impact Wood Turtles?

ByKiley Briggs
August 10, 2024

Out of all the turtles native to New England, I suspect Wood Turtles are the species most directly impacted by extreme floods. As valley stream specialists, the rivers most prone to extreme floods are the same rivers where Wood Turtles thrive.

Spotted Turtle whose genetics were assessed as part of this study.

4 minute read

Science of Scales

New Published Research: Population Genetics of the Spotted Turtle

ByHouston Chandler
May 9, 2024

One component of our long-term work with Spotted Turtles in the southeastern U.S. has been to collect tissue samples from captured Spotted Turtles so we can examine the genetics of focal populations. The results from this research were recently published in the journal Chelonian Conservation and Biology.

5 minute read

Faces of the Forest

Northern Map Turtles

ByKiley Briggs
April 11, 2024

Northern Map Turtles have tan or grayish shells, yellow markings on their skin, and intricate markings on their shell resembling lines on a topographic map, giving the species its name.